The Spirit of Consequence
by Krosabear
Summary: After a sensual dance in the river, some unexpected consequences ensue. Zutara fanfic. Rated for violence, paranoia, and implied sexual themes. Slight AU to fit my imagination's desires.
1. Prologue

I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

* * *

The new Fire Lord and his wife were walking in the garden, hand in hand. The love that they had only recently realized was encasing them, but soon the young woman sighed.

"What are we going to tell my father? He is going to think of me as a traitor." Katara whispered, looking into her husband's eyes.

"Well, we fell in love in Ba Sing Se, we got married, and you became pregnant. In eight months, you will be crowned Fire Lady and our baby will be announced as the heir to the throne. I am working to restore peace and balance with the Avatar. Surely he will be proud of his daughter, instead of ashamed." Zuko answered, sounding unsure.

Hakoda was going to be in the Fire Nation capital in less than a day. It had taken a few days after being crowned Fire Lord for Zuko to be able to find and release all of the prisoners of war, but now Katara would finally be reunited with her family.

Katara blushed and giggled, "In that order?"

"Of course in that order!" Zuko mock yelled, pulling Katara in a warm embrace.

Her eyes smiled as she laughed, "Well, my healing abilities haven't been put to the test in a while." This wasn't quite true, but it made the point she was trying to make.

Zuko looked at his smiling wife incredulously before saying softly, "Not even you can resurrect someone from death."


	2. I

I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

* * *

Toph, Sokka, and Aang were already asleep, huddled around Appa. Katara, on the other hand, was not given quite the luxury of peaceful slumber because of the pull of the river waters in combination with the full moon. She had taken some herbs to try to make her fall asleep, but so far those had come to no use. They only made her feel like her head was uncomfortably cloudy and her body became less controlled. She felt marginally delusional, like when she and Sokka were sick and Aang had to make them suck on some sort of medicinal toad. It was not a feeling she liked. It was a feeling of helplessness and a surrealistic daze.

Every month, without fail, the moon would call to her. She would always answer and then sleep late into the afternoon. She rose with the moon; it was just the way it was. She stayed up late, bending, anyways. She would stay up all night on this day of the month when the moon was full. This month, she swore she wouldn't do it. They had less than twelve weeks to get to the Fire Nation capital and take care of the Fire Lord. Aang wasn't ready, he had to be soon though. So, she was hoping to sleep. Yet, Yue and the gods of the moon and water were calling her name softly and she couldn't ignore them.

Knowing that sleep would not come until much, much later, she slipped away and stumbled toward the river. Some bending, some cool water, something was bound to make her less awake. When she got there, she immediately stripped out of all her clothing. She walked slowly into the water, noting with whimsical satisfaction how the moon reflected in the water and against her naked body. As she got deeper into the pool, she began to sing in low, sultry tones and move her body fluidly.

She thought of nothing but color. Blues, reds, greens, purples were all bathed in the subtle light of the moon. These colors swirled before her eyes with each step she took. Each move she made became less and less certain. It was as if her body had gained a mind of its own. She felt as her body reacted to the soft, cool breeze and the waters lapping at her waist. She kept dancing, feeling more alert. She felt more drunk, like she was a different person. She was a puppet. The moon, her master. She didn't fight its control, leaving her with peacefulness as she moved.

This went on for some time before a spirit began to dance with her. At least, she thought it was a spirit. This creature had a blue and white face, it almost looked like a mask, but surely it was a face. Why would anyone need to wear a mask? It was a striking contrasted from the perfectly sculptured body of alabaster stone. The spirit was probably a fire nation spirit, but why would it be out this late? No, it was a moon minion. A beautiful, tall moon spirit.

The spirit's motions were slightly slurred, as if he was drunk. The naked body of the spirit showed that it was obviously a "he" and he was aroused. Katara blushed as she saw the evidence of this. Partially because she was a virgin, but also because of the great honor that danced with her. Spirits did not often interact with humans. They most certainly did not dance with them or show them favor.

Before long, the song Katara was singing came to a slow end. She kept dancing anyways. Her eyes gazed intently at the eyes of the spirit in front of her, still dancing. His eyes seemed to be smoldering gold and were overflowing with excitement, desire, and admiration. Seeing the look in his eyes, she felt her body responding to his unrelenting gaze. Her dark nipples hardened and her body tingled in hopes to be touched and worshiped by this servant of the moon. In return, she longed to worship his body in the same way through intimacy and pleasure.

As if acting on its own accord, her body found its way closer to him, "Make me yours, great spirit." Her voice was soft as a caress as she reached up and stroked his face, discovering that what he wore was a mask. She pulled it off, slowly, as he sighed. His hands playing at her sides, drawing slight circles in her mocha skin. His breath had the strong odor of alcohol mixed with cedar, smoke, and cinnamon. It wasn't a terrible smell, in fact it was intoxicating.

She looked into his eyes, seeing the desire well up. His hands floating effortlessly across her back, making every nerve stand on end. She felt like she recognized the spirits face, but his breath and his touch enticed her too much to allow her brain to make the connection. She kissed him, molding her body against him, feeling the pleasure of skin on skin.

They continued their dance, moon spirit and waterbender, through the river until they reached shore. Every step they took, every breath they breathed, their kisses and caresses became more and more frenzied. In their lustful embrace, they fell against the sandy shore. In the back of her mind, Katara knew that the spirit was going to claim her virginity tonight. Normally the thought would have frightened her, she would have never allowed herself to be placed in such a position. She banished this thought as she ran her hand through his hair.

In a frenzy of passion, they became one. Katara moaned when her virtue was taken. It was searing pain, but soon the pleasure she felt was greater than all else. Her judgment, her drugged body, her honor were all vulnerable to the spirit and she relished in the joy of giving them to him. Her entire world seemed to exploding around her.

* * *

Lazily, Katara rubbed her eyes shocked at the dream she just had. As if worried that it was all true, she looked down at herself, noting that she was lying on her mat. She was fully clothed, although they seemed to be on funny. She had a pounding headache, but other than that nothing seemed out of place. Still lying down, she surveyed the area. Toph and Aang were sparing while Appa was resting and Momo was grooming his large friend. Next to Appa, Sokka was still sleeping soundly. It was probably early to mid-morning and Katara was very tired, but she couldn't sleep any longer.

She stood up and righted her clothing, noting the extensive soreness she felt all over. Strangely, however, the soreness seemed to be radiating from between her legs. It wasn't that time of the month yet and they didn't feel like cramps, but what else could explain the feeling? She suddenly became aware of another odd feeling. Grabbing a mirror, Katara pulled at her shirt slightly and noted all of the small bruises which were forming on her neck and collarbone. There were a dozen of them at least. How did she get them?

She pulled her shirt securely around her neck, concealing all of the unknown bruises which surrounded her. She ran her hands through her hair before only pulling back the sides, leaving the back as extra protection against the bruises. She didn't know how she'd explain them to Sokka or Aang. Where did they come from?

Being a watrbender, Katara was very in-tune with her body, so she knew something else was up. For the life of her, however, she just could not lay a finger on it. Angry, she stalked out of the campsite and got water for breakfast, trying not to think about her dream. She was about twenty yards from where she was dancing the night before as she bended enough water into the pot then brought it back to the camp.

Once she got back and the food began to cook, Sokka woke up. He practically cursed for not waking sooner, insisting that they needed to leave as soon as they ate and did the dishes if they wanted to stay on schedule. Katara nodded, smiling silently as she cooked and they packed up their camp.

"Katara, can you make it cook any faster? I'm starving!" Sokka cried once the camp was packed up.

"How is that anything new, Snozzles?" Toph chimed before Katara could answer. The blind girl sounded amused.

"Yes, but I think we should fly to the market later. We are dangerously low on supplies." Katara answered before Sokka had the chance to respond to Toph.

"But, that'll put us even further behind on schedule!" Sokka whined.

"Surely, you could arranged something, Sokka? Food is kind of important." Aang said with a cheerful smile before adding, "I'm sure Appa wouldn't mind flying a bit later to make up for lost time, would ya, buddy?"

"Fine, but we better be quick at breakfast then." Sokka said, taking his portion from Katara.

While she ate, she kept thinking of her dream. Sure, she had had dreams that were similar fantasies before, but never like that. Never that far! She would never, ever take herbs to sleep again. They were evil!

After breakfast, Katara did the dishes quickly and they all got on Appa just in time to hear someone's voice, "I am telling you, Nephew, it is good to sleep in from time to time. Let your body decide if it is tired. Running after the Avatar without any rest will kill you."

"I will not rest, Uncle, until my honor is restored!" The irritated voice replied. Katara watched as the people came into view, knowing full well who they were. Only Zuko and his Uncle could have such a conversation. Appa took off just in time to miss Zuko's fireballs that he sent toward them and hear him cursed aloud.

Seeing Zuko's face made Katara realized something that she did not want to admit. Her heart dropped and her stomach knotted as she felt like she was going to puke. Her soreness and her bruises had one explanation. Her dream was real. She lost her virginity last night as she danced like a harlot in the water and allowed desire to course through her body. More, though, it wasn't a moon spirit she had intimate relations with. It was the opposite of a moon spirit, it was the banished Fire Nation prince. Last night, she had given herself completely to her worse enemy. She had made love with Zuko!

Appa flew quickly, easily losing sight of the Fire Lord's son. Katara breathed a sigh of relief as they flew, snuggling to take a nap in the saddle of the great beast. She tried to think of anything other than the truth. She focused on the breathing of her companions, falling into a fitful sleep. She felt better as she woke up, but only for a moment before she remembered.

As the trip went on in relative silence, Katara realized that no matter how hard she tried it forget, it still happened. No matter how much she wanted to call it rape, it wasn't. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she felt pleasure. No matter what, she couldn't change the truth. Chagrin washed over her while blush crept through her body. What would everyone think? She would never marry now. She was a traitor.

* * *

"You are going to hurt yourself, Zuko, you had a late night last night. We will just have some tea, take a short nap, and then be on our way in a few hours. Eventually, we will catch up with them as we have in the past. Why were you out so late, nephew?" Iroh spoke calmly, but his words caused Zuko to tense.

"Fine, Uncle, but we cannot be too long." Zuko said too calmly, causing his uncle to eye him with concern. He was expecting a fight. Perhaps Zuko realized that he was indeed too tired for the day.

They returned to their camp and Iroh began to make the tea while Zuko began to meditate. His meditations, however, were anything but peaceful. He remembered the cave in Ba Sing Se where he and the fiery waterbender had shared what could only be called a tender moment. He smiles slightly as he remembered her touching his scar. During their entrapment, her words and compassion made him realize that she was a much more complex person than he had thought.

She was rescued first, leaving Zuko to face his sister alone. She only mocked him, stating that once again he was a failure to the Fire Nation. Zuko knew she was right, but he couldn't bring himself to reveal where the Avatar and his group were going. How many times did he have the opportunity to seal his fate and destiny by capturing the Avatar, just to let him slip between his fingers? The thought made him grimace.

"It is in my experience, nephew, that sometimes you cannot meditate effectively while you are too tired. Drink your tea and go to sleep." His uncle pulled him from his reserve. He nodded curtly before taking the cup. He sipped his tea, focusing on the taste and not the waterbender. He knew his uncle was correct, but he had so much on his mind that he doubted sleep would help.

After he had finished his tea, he allowed his thoughts to return to the happenings of last night. He had gotten maybe three hours of sleep the night before. In the village, there was a local festival that his uncle had insisted he attend. Zuko had a few drinks, but to be honest he was not that drunk. Instead, he was beginning to become bored by the event and told his uncle he was going to bed. On the way to their camp, he decided to go to the river to clean himself up.

Once he got there, he saw a captivating sight. The young waterbender was dancing and singing in a most sensual manner. He watched, no studied, her for a long time before joining her in her erotic dance. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, he should have left as soon as he saw her. Something in him, however, did not want him to. The alcohol helped this less noble part of him to become brave and pursue the waterbender. He was nervous; he had never seen a naked woman before. He was only thirteen when he was banished. It had been five long years since then and he had never had the time to pursue the body of a woman for anything.

She kissed him and he felt something in him change. He had feelings for the girl. Wrapped in the passion of this realization, they had become intimate several times before they both grew weary. She smiled at "her spirit" and fell asleep on the riverbank. This caused him to feel slightly guilty that she was not fully aware of what was happening around her. After all, he had taken the virginity of a girl who thought she was offering herself to a spirit. Not a very good way to start a relationship.

Knowing that he couldn't leave her on the riverbank, he dressed her the best he could as she slept. He felt bad as his hands and fingers dug into her arms, shoulders, and around her collarbone. He knew that tomorrow her skin would bear his mark. This prospect gave him a guilt-filled thrill in the knowledge that she would be forced to think of him for a few days, at least until the bruises healed.

He carried her gently to her camp and laid her down on the empty mat. He kissed her softly, promising himself that tomorrow he'd capture the Avatar for tonight a water tribe girl had captured his heart. He retreated swiftly from the camp and found his way to his own bed, reliving the events of the night.

Remembering these things, Zuko fell into a peaceful sleep. Did he love her? Maybe, he couldn't identify those feelings, but he felt a deep connection between the water peasant and himself.

* * *

Zuko woke up with a renewed urgency to capture the Avatar…or at least see the girl again. He knew he shouldn't, but it didn't matter.

* * *

AN: I would really appreciate reviews, but will most likely update with or without them. This is a project between my sister and I, but my Make it or Break it project is my #1 FF priority right now. This should be updated at regular intervals, but probably not close intervals.


	3. II

**I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, Zutara so would've happened and Aang would have been a celibate monk. The Airbending race would not have been completely wiped out. **

* * *

"Curses!" Katara hissed as she sat up just in time to see the sun rise. For a week now she had been waking earlier and earlier in spite of her late night bending practices. The moon called to her, but now she couldn't seem to sleep much past dawn. Today, she was the first one up. Was the sun now rivaling the moon? She surveyed her surroundings. The fire was dying and the others were still fast asleep. They had managed to find a peaceful shelter surrounded by mountains and trees.

They were on the broader of Earth and Fire Kingdoms, headed toward the Western Air Temple. Since their last and rather embarrassing encounter by the river, Katara had not seen a trace of the man who hunted the Avatar. Not that she was complaining, because she wasn't. He still danced in her dreams every night. She mused on his absence, not really realizing that her thoughts had been absolutely absorbed by him.

He was so tall, perfectly built. His skin was so warm and begged for her touch. His lips and scent were intoxicating. Even with an angry scar on his face, the Fire Prince was handsome. Yet, he was her enemy. Every time she thought of evil, his face was there. Perhaps that was unfair, he had helped them just as much as he had harmed them. She reached up to stroke her mother's necklace. It wasn't yet time for her to think of him like that, he was an enemy. A very handsome enemy, but an enemy nonetheless.

Trying to rid herself of these thoughts, she began focusing on her energy flow and breathing exercises. She could feel her life source flow smoothly through her body. Closing her eyes and clearing her mind, she pushed her awareness outward, being encased in water and energy. Water was life, she was surrounded by life. She was surrounded by water. Suddenly she felt very cold, so she stood up and rubbed her arms. It was an odd and eerie feeling.

She decided to wake everyone up with breakfast. She hadn't been very hungry in the afternoons and evenings recently, so breakfast really had become her most important meal. Well, breakfast and her midnight snack she ate before bending practice. She picked up the small cooking pot and bended some clear water into it, then she quickly restarted the fire. She purified the water before beginning to cook. She was feeling weird again, as if she was in some surreal reality.

Her thoughts were still on the happenings of the full moon. She was defiled, deflowered. No one would ever want to marry her now. After all, not only did she have relations before marriage, she did so willingly with the Fire Nation Prince. No one would forgive her easily if they found out. She had decided that although the herbs made her feel fuzzy and not in control of her body, she probably would have embraced him anyways simply because her hormones were high and she secretly liked him. What made her think of it was her lack of response when she pulled off his mask. She was nothing more than a harlot. Not worth anything. She was disgusting.

"You are up early, Katara? Are you feeling okay?" Aang asked as he stretched his tired muscles. Katara simply shrugged. She didn't really feel like discussing her recent sleeping habits with Aang for fear she tell him the full truth. Having the talk with the airbending monk of twelve was not something she was real excited to do. She knew that eventually she or Sokka would have to, but for right now she was perfectly happy with acting as if there was no such thing as sexual relations. She wished that Gran Gran hadn't told her everything when her cycles began. Then again, not knowing would have caused its own set of problems. She probably would have thought she was bleeding to death if not for that particular conversation.

Back then the idea of a man and a woman doing such things repulsed Katara. She didn't know why anyone would want to. In a twelve year old girl's mind, the procreation of children was an impossible task. Yet, she just recently found out that the act was not nearly as impossible as she had originally thought. She was disgusting.

"Oh, well, what are you planning to do today, Katara?" Aang broke her thoughts before they traveled too far down the self-loathing path.

"After breakfast, I want to go find the river while you practice Earth bending with Toph. Don't forget, you still have a lot to learn. Anyway, it doesn't feel too far away. Then, if you want, we can practice Water bending this afternoon before Sokka decides we need to be on our way." She answered, stirring the stewed fruits in the small pot, sighing. Normally she did not care what they ate, but today she was dreading to have to eat the plain, mushy fruit. She longed for flavor or variety.

Aang nodded slightly before sitting down for his morning meditation. Although he was trying to focus on meditating, but instead he was throwing worried glances at his friend. She had been acting strange for almost a week now. He couldn't figure out what could possibly be wrong. Sure, sometimes Katara was moody and Toph had said it was a secret time for women, but she normally slept more. Recently, she had distanced herself from the group slightly and was very quiet.

"Hey Sugar Queen! I could get used to this waking up to breakfast thing." Toph smiled as she stretched. Katara looked up briefly at the blind girl and smiled sadly. Katara was not looking forward to helping Toph getting used to such a thing, but as it was, she had no idea how to prevent it. Maybe if she stayed up later, she could sleep later.

"Don't get used to it." Katara mumbled as she handed a bowl to the girl. Suddenly she felt very cold, followed by an intense heat. As if her body was raging internally, her body temperature changed rapidly. The quick changes in temperature took her breath away and she clutched at her chest, trying to force her body to maintain a normal temperature. She willed it to happen, but the battle between hot and cold commenced. Her brow began to form beads of sweat and every breath she took felt icy. For the love of La and Tui, what was going on?

Seeing that Aang was watching her, she took up her bowl and briskly walked toward the river. Every step was painful, but she didn't want sympathy or suggestions. She couldn't figure out what was wrong. Aang dished himself and was about to follow her when Toph called him to help her tie her sleeping bag. Sokka was still sleeping with Appa and Momo.

Katara sat cross-legged on the river's edge, eating and bending the water with one hand. She was making ripples and shapes as she ate, but her bending was eccentric and wild. She attributed her waterbending to her mood and lack of focus. Suddenly a shadow appeared over her, "Leave me alone, I don't want to talk about it." She crossed her arms, dropping her bowl.

"Well then, we won't talk. You are coming with me." Said a raspy voice that she could recognized anywhere. She whipped her head around and looked at him. Opening her mouth to scream for help, but before she could, her body literally froze up and her lips turned blue. She fell onto the ground, shivering from the cold. What in the name of La and Tui could cause this?

Zuko gasped at the sight before him. The waterbender wasn't breathing and her skin was a deathly pallor. Her eyes pleaded that he do something, anything! He reached down to touch her, quickly pulling his hand back after he touched her cold body. She was frozen solid and stiff as the dead, still not breathing. Could waterbenders freeze themselves to death? She looked so scared that Zuko knew this was not on purpose.

He didn't think twice before raising his body temperature and embracing the bender. He smiled slightly when he heard her gasping breath. He rubbed her arms and back, spreading his warmth over her body. She melted into his embraces, reveling in his warmth. "What just happened?" he asked, after several moments of holding her. For the love of Agni, she was freezing still.

"I don't know. This started happening today." She whispered, eyes going wide. She started to push herself from him slightly, uncomfortable at her close proximity with her enemy. He refused to allow her this, pulling her tighter. Her body was still very cold. He needed the young bender to be alive.

"What do you mean, peasant? What is going on?" He tried to keep the concern from his voice. After all, he tried to tell himself, she was just a way to get to the Avatar. He knew this was a lie, but he had to try to convince himself it was the truth.

"I don't know. My body has been acting weird. I can't control my body temperature. It spikes or grows very cold. I just froze, you know. My stomach flutters and I feel sick. I have been rising at dawn, but up past midnight. My energy flow…" She stopped, calculating. What was she telling him? Why? It couldn't be. She looked down at their entwined arms and remembered their night a week ago.

"What is going on with you chi?" He asked softly. Concern was now laced in his voice. It startled her and she stared into his eyes. Her blue eyes were wide in wonder and fear while his golden eyes were soft with concern.

"Chi?" She asked, blinking. She didn't know the proper names for anything bending related besides the bending sequences themselves. She tried to meditate and locate her energy, but she was not very good at it. No one taught her how.

"Your energy is called your chi." He tried to not sound annoyed at her ignorance. She was a water tribe peasant, after all.

"Oh, my chi, I cannot seem to control it. It seems to be centering at more than one place." She whispered, still thinking about what it could mean.

"Where?" He asked, but she looked at him questioning, so he clarified, "Where is your chi centering?"

She motioned to her lower chest and upper stomach, where it should be centered at. Then she motioned lower, right above her pelvic bone. Zuko hissed before nodding. Katara looked into his eyes, hoping he could tell her what was going on. His arms were still warm around her and part of her liked the feeling. She was too interested in what he was saying to realize that this conversation had gone on far too long. She should have fought him off right after she regained her control of her body temperature. He was still an enemy.

This seemed to be enough information for Zuko. His face appeared to be debating something for several moments before he made his decision. He gently picked her up and started walking quickly toward his camp. She began to protest, but he promised that he just needed to speak to his uncle and that he would release her as soon as they had their answers.

Upon arrival, he set her down and pulled her gently toward his tent, but she refused to move. Sighing, he picked her back up. "Uncle, I have to talk to you right away." He shouted as he placed the water bender in his own tent, motioning the guards to watch her. He draped a blanket around her shoulders, telling her to stay where she was. He left his tent and walked over to where his Uncle had been meditating.

"Uncle, what are some reasons for a woman's chi flow to change?" He asked, quietly as he sat down. His uncle looked up thoughtfully at him. He had not seen his nephew carry the waterbender into the camp and he had no idea why his nephew would have to ask. His nephew was quiet and determined to get his honor back. More so, he was stubborn in his methods. He knew that once he ascended to the throne, he would have to restore the honor to the Fire Nation. Yet, he still believed that only delivering the Avatar to his father would restore his own honor. Over and again, he had tried to explain to his nephew that only Agni granted honor and only Agni could restore it, but Zuko ignored him.

"How much do you know about women, Zuko? About their cycles? You know they…um…bleed?" Iroh asked hesitantly. This was an awkward conversation even for this seasoned veteran. The question seemed to shock Zuko for a moment before he gained composure.

"Mother said that the body of a woman was like the moon and the ocean, following natural monthly changes like the waxes and wanes of the moon and tides. Sometimes she would be calm. Sometimes she would peak. Then, if she wasn't pregnant, she would renew herself. I only know what mother told me." Zuko remembered the lesson she had given him when he was very young. He had seen her cleaning her clothes and demanded to know why she was bleeding. Begging to know who had dared harm her.

Remembering this aspect to a woman's life, he silently thanked Agni that he was nowhere near Azula now that she was of age. After all, Azula was ruthless without the help of raging hormones. She was deprived of her mother at a young age; she probably never learned how to control herself civilly, or at all. Being on the move with mostly males as company did not give him the opportunity to experience this. He heard them talk about having sexual relations at times, but he mostly ignored them.

"Well, that is a good explanation. Your mother was always good at explaining things. During a woman's cycle, she constantly changes and her chi naturally follows. They get used to these monthly cycles and can often track them if they know how to sense their chi flow. Do you know how a woman becomes pregnant, Prince Zuko? Pregnancy can change chi flow." The old general asked kindly, looking at the young man before him.

"Yes, simple anatomy studies tell you that. How soon after the act can a woman tell she is with child?" His head was spinning. This was something he was not prepared to deal with. The awkwardness of the conversation echoed with each word that was said. His uncle eyed him cautiously, trying to read the perfectly masked face. These sort of questions were hardly ever good coming from the young Fire Nation royal.

"For some women, especially benders who are in tune with their bodies and chi flow, the change can be detected within a few days. For most women, however, it would take weeks. Your mother knew about you within the week that she became pregnant with you because she could feel her inner flame being challenged by another much smaller flame. With Azula it was a much smaller flame which was determined to destroy everything! Why are you suddenly so interested in the matters that belong to women?" Iroh noted the slight blush which crept up Zuko's neck, ruining his almost perfect façade.

Before Zuko could answer, a scream erupted from behind him and a water whip lashed at his head. He turned to face the waterbender, scoffing at her temper in the middle of a camp full of firebenders. He motioned to tell his soldiers not to touch her. She continued to whip her water around wildly as he calmly stood up and walked the few feet that separated them. His movements were quick and she could not see him through her tears. He grabbed her wrists in one swift motioned and turned her around, pinning her arms to her chest, whispering, "I think I know what is wrong with you. From your reaction, I think you know what it is too."

"You defiled and deflowered me. No one is going to want me now. No one wants to care for a bastard child. Only virgins are worth anything, only virgins marry well. I will never marry. No one wants what was used and discarded. You stole that from me. You ruined me. I have no honor." She seethed, her voice cracking in tears. She spoke with a low, lethal volume, barely audible, as if to not alert the by-standers.

"No one has to know, besides, who says I am to blame?" He whispered back, softly. He knew that women could take some herbs and their bodies would dispel of the growing baby. He did not like the idea of her getting rid of his child, but it was her choice. He knew it was his child, but for some reason he needed to hear it from her.

"I'm too young to be a mother, but I would never murder my baby." Her voice quivered before she added, "I was a virgin before I shared that night with you. I haven't done anything since." Her tears welled in her eyes before she added, "Now I am ruined forever, no one will marry me." She pulled her arms free of him and ran back toward camp. Zuko stood, thinking, watching her run. It was a lot to take in. He was a father and knew that one night had changed both their lives. He sat down, ignoring his men, to meditate. His uncle sat next to him, saying nothing. He knew and trusted his nephew to make the correct decision. He motioned for the soldiers to let the girl go. Soon enough they would have to find her again.

Katara cried aloud as she ran. The words of the older man echoed in her mind. She knew what was wrong, even though it was too early to really tell. Aang wouldn't understand, he would be crushed! Sokka would be ashamed. Toph probably wouldn't care, but she would never let her live this down. One drugged night had changed her life forever. Thinking of these things, Katara fell to the ground in tears next to the riverbank where Zuko had found her. She was too young. She pressed her hands to her lower abdominal and willed that it not be true. She was not pregnant. She was just sick. She would recover in a few days. This was all a terrible dream.

"Katara! Katara, aren't we going to practice waterbending?" Aang shouted, pulling Katara out of her self-pity. She wiped her eyes and splashed her face with water. Suddenly she felt warm and lightheaded. She cursed silently before calling to Aang.

Taking off her outer clothes, she waded into the water in just her undergarments. She did not think it was odd to do this; they covered most of her skin. Besides, Aang was practically her brother, even if he had a crush on her. Pretty soon, if her suspicions were correct, she would no longer be able to practice like this. Her body would be changing, becoming more womanly. Thinking of that, she sighed while engulfing herself in water. Too bad she couldn't drown herself, but she was pretty sure she would still survive.

Aang stripped down to his shorts and joined her, pushing and pulling the water gently. "So, are you feeling okay?" Aang asked innocently.

Katara groaned inwardly, "I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping well."

"Is there a reason why?" Aang prodded, smiling with concern.

"Um, I don't know. Can we not talk about it?" Katara snapped. Aang nodded.

They went through some basic sequences, not talking much, before Katara sighed and walked out of the water. She bended the water from her skin and hair before getting dressed. She did not want to practice right now. She did not want to do anything, except maybe sleep. It was midafternoon now, Sokka would want to be leaving soon. She listen as Aang ran next to her, talking about how great the temple was and how nice it would be not to have to move all the time. He carefully avoided talking about his responsibilities and firebending.

She smiled, Aang was so excited about being close to one of the air temples. If they flew long enough, they might be able to make it tonight. She was happy that Aang was happy. Watching him temporarily took away all of her problems and worries. She quickly gathered all of her supplies and loaded them onto Appa's saddle. Toph and Sokka were snacking while Aang was helping Katara. Once they had finished they all loaded into the saddle and were off. Katara couldn't help but hope Zuko did not see the take-off.

* * *

It was about two in the morning when he finally found their camp. His men were on the water following them, but he and his uncle road hard ahead, following the air bison closely. He looked down at the beautiful waterbender at his feet, sleeping peacefully. He knew what he had to do, but it was difficult for him. He looked around and spotted the Avatar, sleeping next to the giant floating beast. He would be so easy to capture. He knew he couldn't restore his honor like this now. Like his uncle said, there are other ways. Agni would help him, only Agni could restore his honor now. Yet, the child was sleeping obliviously. He would so easily be taken. Shaking his head, Zuko reached down and scooped the girl up. She moaned lightly before snuggling into his strong arms. Seemingly out of impulse, Zuko placed a sweet kiss to her temple before spiriting her away into the night.

He settled down next to the sleeping waterbeder, sitting cross-legged in meditation. It was only a few hours until dawn and he knew that he would not be able to fall asleep. He focused on his inner flame, allowing it to engulf him and then depressing it with each breath. He slowed his breathing until he was sure he would die if he slowed it any more. Somehow he did not think that Agni would let him die. During his meditations earlier he felt the great dragon's spirit. He knew that he must right what he did with the waterbender. He must allow the Avatar to restore balance. He must live to ascend the throne. He must restore the honor of the Fire Nation, or Agni would never restore his honor. If he was a true son of Agni, he must listen to him.


	4. III

_Here is an update in celebration of the Summer Session being over. I do not own Avatar. _

* * *

Zuko opened his eyes from his meditation and looked around. The sky was a faint pink in the pre-dawn. The trees and hills were grey in the twilight. The sun would rise momentarily, filling the sky with all the glory of the Fire God. Zuko had been meditating on Agni's orders all night, unsure how he was going to fulfill them. He knew he had to obey the Great Dragon if he ever wanted to regain his honor, but being obedient to a spirit was a difficult concept. Especially when he didn't know if it was a dream or a vision. Could he have made it all up?

He looked at the young, sleeping waterbender and frowned. It wasn't her fault he was in this predicament, but her existence certainly did not help him. Staring at her, he began to wonder about her. The things she liked, her fondest memories, her favorite color. It didn't matter, but he was still curious. He realized something as he watched her breathe, she was young. Her smooth, dark face was beautiful, but youthful. Her body did not tell the tale of a woman, but of a girl who had just reached her maidenhood. She was a child herself, how old was she? He stole her innocence, he was stealing her life.

He shook his head, her age did not matter. It changed nothing. Not what had been done and not want the Great Dragon had ordered to be done. This was not going to be pleasant. He was young himself when his life was forever changed. Now, he was still only sixteen and would be the Fire Lord before the end of the year if the Avatar was able to defeat his father before the comet arrived. The idea to join the Avatar and defeat his father was a strange and surreal notion. He almost felt guilty, as if that would truly make him a traitor, but he would obey the dragon. He knew his father was not honorable and had lost the favor of Agni before he even ascended the throne when he began to disrespect the spirits. Eventually, he stopped regarding them as real.

"Why must I always wake up to this blasted sun?" The girl moaned, throwing her arm over her eyes. Zuko bit back a chuckle. The girl was still unaware of her surroundings. Her voice brought back his ponderings to what he must do. This was going to be a difficult day. "Where am I?" Katara rubbed her eyes, looking around. Her gaze fell on him and she stared at him evenly, "Why did you bring me here?" Her voice was even and calculating.

"I have to restore my honor. Stand up." The Fire Prince said, standing up. He looked at the girl impatiently.

Understanding dawned on her face. She was possibly pregnant with the Fire Prince's child. That would cause his honor to be brought into question. After all, a Fire Lord could not have any bastard children. The only way she could think of him preventing this was to take care of the problem. "What? So you can kill me?"

His eyes widened and his jaw clenched, "Just get up."

"Please, let me go back to my brother and friends. I won't tell. I will keep it to myself, no one will ever know who the father of my child is. Please, don't kill the baby. I beg of you!" She began to cry, pleading helplessly for the life growing inside her, as well as for her own. She knew that she was no match for the angry Fire Prince without her element readily available. She could draw water from her surroundings, but it wouldn't be enough. She began to blabber and barter for her life. He continued to just stare at her, not thinking that she would beg like this.

"Oh, stop it girl. No one is going to die today." Zuko finally said, impatiently, "Now stand up before I make you."

She stood up slowly, not wanting to be manhandled by the young man. "How do you intend to restore your honor then?" She asked, her voice was sharp and annoyed. Why was she here if he did not intend on killing her?

"There is no honor in taking the life of an innocent girl, Katara."He said the words with obvious confliction, thinking of the day his face was burned. She nodded slowly and waited for him to answer her question.

"Anciently in my culture, only husbands and wives bore children. I believe it is a custom of the Water Tribes to be virgin on your wedding night, correct? I will marry you to restore both our honor." The young man said, shrugging, and began to walk away from the confused waterbender.

Something about the nonchalant manner in which he said those words infuriated Katara and she summoned all of the water from the ground and sky around her, throwing ice draggers toward him with a scream. He turned and side-stepped the attack in a swift motion, glaring at the girl menacingly for her actions. He forced himself to take a deep breath and visibly calmed, "I will not fight the woman who carries my child." He walked toward her and grabbed her by both wrists, "Do not make this more difficult than it must be, peasant." He pulled her behind him, ignoring her struggles and angry cries.

"Wait, wait! I will not marry you. In the Earth Kingdom, the woman must consent. I will not marry you." She dug her heels into the ground. He turned to glance at the girl, her slender wrists still gathered into his larger hands.

"I thought you were worried about your survival and that of the child. You and the child will die if you are not married. Your tribe will be sure of it, peasant. I know your history and customs." He stated very quietly. He did not know these things until the spirit of the great dragon surrounded him.

"I will not be the wife to a spoiled Fire Nation noble! Your nation practices multiple wives, concubinage, and mistresses. I will not sit by while my husband sleeps with other women. I will only marry someone who loves and cherishes me." She said stubbornly. She had not really thought about how her tribe would react. He was right, her tribe had an ancient law that a woman caught with child without a husband was turned out and shunned. In the coldness of the poles, the law always resulted in death. It was an ancient law though; surely they would not still practice it.

The Fire Prince stiffened, before again forcing himself to calm. "There is no honor in the practices you speak of. As the future Fire Lord, I will restore honor to my nation. I will lead by example. I will only have and keep one wife. I will not sleep with anyone but her."

"They will never allow a watertribe girl to be married to the Fire Lord." She snapped, thinking she had thrown the final blow that would end the argument. She continued to struggle against his strong grip. He was beginning to hurt her and she knew she would have bruises the shape of his hands.

He smiled at that, "As Fire Lord, I can have any woman I want. If they question it, I will call it a political arrangement. What does it matter to you?" He started walking again, pulling her along easily with him.

She struggled against his grip in one last effort to release herself, but he was still too strong. "This comes back to it, I will not marry someone who does not love me and who I do not love."

"You think I want a marriage without love, respect, honor? I am not happy about this either, peasant, but it is the only way to restore my honor and yours. I intend to love you some day and I hope you will learn to love me as well. At the moment love is not important. You need me more than I need you, so just be still." He began to shout, but he ended quietly. He did not want to force her or scare her, but he needed to get his way.

"I will not marry the man who is hunting the Avatar. I am trying to help the Avatar restore balance." She said stubbornly, no longer fighting him. She was defeated.

"I will join the Avatar. My father, grandfather, great grandfather have disgraced my nation. I will help the Avatar restore balance to the world and restore the honor of the Fire Nation." He stated firmly. She hung her head, letting him lead her forward.

"You really care about your honor, don't you?" She muttered, trying to coax his grip to loosen so she would not have extensive bruises.

"Honor is the only thing a man has at the end of the day, or so says my uncle. Because I care about my honor, I will treat you well as my wife. Now come, the shaman is waiting." He loosened his grip on her wrists, taking her by the hand instead. His grip on her hand was much looser, almost trusting. His hands were warm, but not uncomfortably so. His entire demeanor, although angry, seemed to have a warmth about it. He seemed very conflicted, but he was not confused. Zuko was a paradox in himself.

Katara walked beside him, internally cursing for allowing herself to have fallen into this quandary. "You know, if you hadn't touched me, we would have never gotten into this mess. It isn't very honorable taking the maidenhood of an innocent virgin." She said after a few moments, knowing that this would not help the situation, but trying to prove to him that he was to blame.

Strangely, he did not react the way she had anticipated, he only sighed, "Yes, I know. That's why I am trying to make it right." He lightly squeezed her hand, as if he was trying to be enduring or reassuring. She was having none of that, she still wanted to make him pay for the part he had to play her pregnancy.

"There would be nothing to make up for if you hadn't followed me and trapped me in a whirlwind of perversion. I was a naïve little girl, you've stolen that from me." She stated stubbornly, trying to pull her hand from his. He tightened his grip on her hand, but not so much that it would hurt.

"I was not following you, I happened upon you. Besides, I was not the one dancing in the middle of the river, nude as a newborn baby, as sensual as a harlot. You are lucky it was me who found you." Zuko said, evenly. His voice was grim and low as they entered the small earth kingdom town. He pulled her to a stop before a merchant's stall and asked to see the hair pieces, motioning to Katara as if to explain. The merchant smiled and bustled inside the small hut to retrieve the requested items.

"No, anyone else would have left me alone." Katara answered, unsure of her answer. She wasn't sure of her own words.

"No, if it had been anyone else, your fate would be much, much worse now." Zuko said grimly. Something in his tone told her not to continue down this train of thought. Some people might have turned and let her be. Other's would have out and out raped her. Still others might have captured her as a slave or concubine. He was right, what he was doing was kind in comparison.

Just then the shop keeper returned with a cloth she laid on the table before her. She unfolded her burden quite reverently and slowly, revealing the most beautiful combs and hair pieces. Along with the hair pieces, there were several other pieces of jewelry. Zuko inspected them while Katara stood next to him enthralled by their unique designs. She did not even notice when he selected a golden hair piece which looked like it was crafted to mimic the vast mountains of the Earth Kingdom. At the same time, if one's imagination was enough, the mountains could be flames. The merchant wrapped the piece and exchanged it for the money. Zuko smiled at her kindly and reclaimed Katara's hand.

"Come this way, peasant." He grumbled, when he had to pull her into a new roadway.

"I am not a peasant, you know. I am the daughter of the chief of my clan." She tried to make it sound noble, but as she said it, her words sounded foolish. This earned a grim chuckle from Zuko, it was a very dark sound.

"Figures that I would end up marrying a princess, a political marriage after all. Come on, your highness, our wedding is about to start." His voice was even, emotionless. He pulled her into a building that seemed to resemble the inner rooms of a temple. The Earth Kingdom had no temples except in Ba Sing Se and Omashu because they were forbidden by the Fire Nation. Now, because both of the great cities had fallen, Katara doubted that the Earth Kingdom practiced their religion at all. This room contradicted her assumptions.

Entering the room, Zuko pushed her toward two women who looked as if they were in their thirties. He went with two men and entered a room. She watched him walk, wondering why he seemed so calm. The two women pulled her gently into a different room. They gave her a goblet of a dark liquid to drink as they pulled her hair from its traditional Water Tribe style. She sipped it, but did not like the bitter taste. She tried to put it down, but one of the women scolded her saying that it was important for a new bride to drink of the herbs of good fortune given to man by the gods themselves. She wanted to tell them that she wanted no good fortune, but decided against it.

She gasped and tried to fight them off as they began to remove her clothing. The older of the two women slapped her hand and stated firmly, "You must be bathed and dressed in the wedding garments or the spirits will never look with favor on your marriage."

"No, I can bathe myself." She replied, trying to keep her clothing on her shoulders.

"It is tradition. Now, allow us to remove yours clothes." She did, feeling defeated again and suddenly very weary. She knew she would not be able to escape. He would find her. Besides, even if she could, who was to say that he would not decide to attack the Avatar? She also knew that, although she did not want to admit it, he was truthful when he said that she and her child would most likely die if she were to return to the South Pole.

They stripped her of her clothing and her underwrappings, throwing them into the fire. She gasped and protested, trying to save her things from the flame. The younger of the two women chastised her, telling her that her kind fiancé had ordered them to burn her clothes and that he had brought her clothes for after the ceremony. They explained to her that it was custom, tradition, that a maiden's clothes to be burned, symbolizing that her ties with her family were no more. They would no longer support her and she would no longer live in their home. Then, she would be bathed in the herbs and oils appointed by the great spirits. After which, she would be clothed in the wedding garments of the local temple. They would be wed in the ceremony, followed by the groom stripping his bride of the wedding clothes and placing the robes he had bought her upon her shoulders. She was told that this part of the ceremony was to be done in private and if the groom wanted to consummate the marriage at that time, it was acceptable. The couple would be left alone for the remainder of the day.

They told her that normally the following day, the couple would return the wedding garments along with a sum of money or other offering to the gods. They would then celebrate their union with their families and friends. The bride's family would help her move all of her things into the groom's home. The older woman tsked and said, "But your groom says the second part will not be observed and the garments will be returned immediately because he must return to the mines tomorrow. I just hope the gods will smile upon this hasty union. Marrying so quickly, even in forbidden love, is never a good thing."

Katara had a feeling that Zuko had woven a tale of Romance rather than admit the truth. She allowed them to scrub her down and pat her dry. She hissed softly as they pulled her hair into a traditional Earth Kingdom bun. Then they brought out the robes. Katara blushed as she saw the pale green, transparent robes of the Earth Kingdom brides. It was no wonder that the wedding ceremony itself was a private affair.

They dressed her in the robes, tying the slash tightly around her waist, "You are much smaller than most brides." Was their only comment. It was true, she was much smaller than the body type that the dress was meant for. Her breasts, although a good size and full for her age, barely filled the top of the robe. She was inches shorter and much thinner. Once the dress was on her, she was led to where Zuko was waiting.

He was also dressed in pale green robes, but they were solid. He was sitting on his heels before the small altar with his arms outstretched in a rather uncomfortable manner. He looked at Katara with a steady, but kind gaze as if he was bidding her to join him. In impulse, rather than knowledge, she kneeled before him and rocked back until she sat on her heels, her arms falling gently on top of his. Zuko took in a sharp breath as she did, seeing the transparency of the gown she wore. Gaining composure, Zuko took hold of her right arm and twisted gently so that his arm laid on top of hers, smirking at the quizzical look she gave.

The Earth shaman bound their arms together with a long strip of white cloth, pulling Katara from her sitting position to her knees. Zuko, he pushed back further, so that Katara seemed to be hovering over him. The position was painful for both of them. The shaman was chanting, but neither spoke. He placed a veil which covered both the bride and the groom as he continued to sing the prayers to the great spirits.

In the Water Tribes, the father's gave their daughters away for marriage after the daughter accepted the betrothal necklace from her beau. After which, the families and the tribe watched as their union was blessed by the Moon Priestess or Ocean Servant. A week long party would ensue after. In the Fire Nation, the bride and groom would exchange vows or promises of love and fidelity symbolized by gifts. This made the practices of multiply wives, concubines, and mistresses seem out of place. If the Fire Nation couple had the money, they would throw a party to celebrate the union. If not, they would attend the party that the Fire Lord hosted for them with the other poor couples on the date of the Fire Lord's own anniversary. The Earth Kingdom practices of marriage were very unique and different from both Zuko and Katara's experience.

Soon, the veil was removed and the bride was untied from her groom. He was taken to the room in which he would be exchanging her robes in order to change, while she was taken to a small kitchen to prepare tea for him. She found the absolute servitude of a bride in the Earth Kingdom to be strange. It made her wonder what was to come in her new life as the bride of the future Fire Lord. Not having time to ponder these things, she was handed the tray of tea and pushed into the room where Zuko was sitting, meditating.

She passed him, placing the tray on the low table next to where he sat, and poured the tea. She set down the cup just in time for her arm to be caught by his hand. She looked down at the young man who sat at her feet, her expression even. He pulled her gently, forcing her to sit on his lap, "Well that was interesting, wasn't it, princess?" He smiled as he smelled her hair. She simply nodded, reaching for the tea. He lazily wrapped his arms around her lithe form, but refused the tea, "No, wife, not now. I have no intention of making love to you during the midmorning."

She turned her upper body and looked at him confused. He smiled sadly at her, "The tea is made of herbs to help both our bodies to become aroused. We have much to do today, so we will not be drinking it. Besides, I have no need for it. Your body is enchanting." He watched her blush, noting that she was being uncharacteristically quiet and docile. Then, with a gasp, she became very cold in his arms. He instantly warmed his body temperature up to compensate, but before he knew it, her temperature was soaring higher than his own. He had to quickly remove the heat, so to save his scorching wife.

"How often does this happen?" He hissed into her ear when she could breathe again.

"A few times a day." She answered in the same tone, trying to stand up. She felt weak and confused. She did not understand why she could not regulate her own temperature.

He grimaced as she moved against him, trying to stand. Then he realized that he had yet to release his crew and they needed to get back to the Avatar. He removed his arms from her waist and placed them on her shoulders, "Wait." He pulled her hair out of the traditional bun of the Earth Kingdom, laughing softly as she stiffened. He pulled his fingers through her soft tassels and gathered it into his hands, breathing in the scent and laying a soft kiss to the tips. He then let it go and gathered the sides into a traditional topknot, placing the hair piece he bought her into her hair.

She scarcely moved and barely breathed as he did these intimate things to her hair, "Okay, princess, you may stand. Your clothing is on the bench over there. I think I got what you would need."

She turned and looked at him dumbly, "I was told you were supposed to change me?" She did not really want him to change her. She didn't want him to touch her, but she thought he would. Surely he knew he was supposed to change her robes, he knew he was supposed to get her new ones.

"Like I said, I have no intention of making love to you this morning. So, unless you want me to, I would suggest you get dressed. I'll just be meditating." He settled back into his silent meditation.

Once she was dressed, she touched his shoulder lightly and he looked up at her. He nodded, before standing and taking her hand. She blushed when she realized that more or less, they matched. Both were wearing brown pants and tunic shirts. Her shirt was longer than his, reaching her knees. Where his was a dark crimson color with bands of gold and forest green, hers was white with elaborate flowers of crimson design. Both had green slashes at the waist. "I can get you different clothes if you want them. I thought this would suit you alright." She simply nodded, having no intention of asking for different clothes. "Come on, we must speak to my crew. Then, I have a feeling your friends and brother are worried about you."

She allowed him to lead her, now being very docile. She was married, the deed was done. Tears welled into her eyes. She was a disgrace and a traitor. Now, she was a married traitor. He led her gently, pulling her along behind him. He never let go of her hand.

She gasped in fear when she saw the Fire Nation ship in the docks, realizing he was going to force her to board. She panicked. She knew she had married the Fire Nation Prince, she knew he had said he needed to speak to his crew. In order to do so, she would be forced to board. What if he lied? What if he was going to keep her as prisoner and bait on the ship? Her fear rose and so did her temperature; before she knew it sweat was falling down her brow and she felt sick.

He gasped her upper arms, trying to make sense of what was going on but before he could say anything, he body sagged against him and her body instantly cooled. This constant temperature change was beginning to make him nervous, but he shook it off, picking up his wife gently and boarding the ship.


	5. IV

_Thanks for the awesome reviews. This fanfic is slightly AU because I am a hopeless romantic and this chapter explains the ship and crew. I didn't think out the wedding that much, to be honest. I was watching my sister at soccer try outs and it just sort of came to me. :-) She says soccer is the sport of inspiration. My sister made varsity, by the way. She is the goal keep._

_Anyways, I do not own Avatar. _

* * *

"Remember, nephew, you can learn much by traveling with your beautiful new wife and her friends." Iroh stole a glance at the girl Zuko had cradled against him. They were sitting down in the office of the ship. Zuko had Katara pulled close to his chest, a hand on her lower chest to monitor her breathing and chi flow. She seemed to just be sleeping, he was able to rouse her but she slumped back into a peaceful sleep. He would glance at her tired form from time to time, unbelieving that she was now his wife.

He did not have a physician on board his ship since Zhao had called loyalty. He did not know what had happened to the physician. Right now, he wished that the healers had been found. He was worried about Katara's temperature changes.

"If they will teach me, I will listen. If they will not, I will observe. What is it that you told me about the balance of the nations?" Zuko had just told his uncle that he planned on releasing his soldiers and sailors in order to join the Avatar. His uncle said that he, too, would go to do what he could to end the war. They would see each other after the comet, one way or another. He gave his fatherly blessing, the one meant for Lu Ten, to Zuko and they were now discussing the importance of the balance between mortal and spiritual, bending and non-bending, and the four nations.

"As you well know, Prince Zuko, Fire is the element of power and the people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, you will have to win over their hearts after ascending the throne. Many will love you for ending the war, they have grown weary, but many are still proud and angry, they will be more difficult.

Earth is the element of substance. The Earth Kingdom is diverse, enduring, strong, persistent, and proud. They will not trust you at first; you must show them that you are an honest and kind ruler. You must gain their trust.

Air is the element of freedom. They detached themselves from this world and the cares of the world to find peace. They are a very spiritual people and as a result, they are truly free. Many believe their race was wiped out with the beginning of this war, but I believe that it is arrogant of the Fire Nation to think they can completely wipe out a people. I am sure that, with peace, the Air Nomads will resurface.

Water, the nation of your young bride, is the element of change. As water forever flows without rest, the people of the water tribe allow water to flow and heal. They are adaptable and loving. They have a strong sense of community and family. It will do the world good to have a water tribe woman to be the wife of the Fire Lord, but it will not be an easy transition. She will bring a balance in your marriage, although I fear at first she will bring with her a tempest, the Water Tribe is known for tempers to match your own, nephew!" He smiled brightly when he saw Zuko place a light kiss on his wife's temple, breathing in her sweet scent.

"Thank you, Uncle. I will try to help restore balance and to be a leader to make you proud." Zuko said quietly, humbly. He cleared his throat, "Please send in Lieutenant Jee and may Agni smile upon you."

"Spoken like a true father for a noble nation." Iron bowed, turning to leave. Zuko rearranged how Katara laid, leaving only her shoulders and head cradled on his lap, the rest of her body stretched along the low couch he sat upon. He pulled a blanket over her, covering most of her body from view. The desk in front of him shielded her as well. He stroked her cheek tenderly, chuckling when she breathed protests at being moved and stiffened as she cuddled deeper into his lap. Once he forced himself to calm, he replaced his hand on her upper stomach. He then began to write generic letters that would only require the name of the soldier or sailor.

"You requested my audience, Prince Zuko." Jee said, bowing to the still seated younger man. Zuko nodded, motioning for the man to sit.

"I will be releasing you from my service for the time being, Lieutenant Jee. I grow weary of this mission my father sends me on and believe it is for the best that I continue it alone. You may return, with a letter from myself, to duty in the Army or you may go home to your family. The choice is yours." Zuko said calmly, glancing up the older man briefly.

"What is really going on, my Lord? You have my undying loyalty, regardless of the truth." Jee returned evenly, causing Zuko to chuckle.

"I trust you, so I am telling only you. This war has gone on far too long and has ripped apart too many lives. An entire nation was massacred at the hands of our lust for power. The world has been thrown out of balance." Zuko spoke calmly, giving no indication of emotion. He still felt the breathing and chi of his wife under the table.

"So, you are joining the Avatar and will usurp your father's tyrannical reign. I pray you are a better Fire Lord than those before you." Jee finished for Zuko with a serious face, adding, "I have not seen my family in three long years, my Lord; I will go home with the promise of being reinstated upon your ascension to the throne."

Zuko nodded, "You have my word that you will be reinstated at a higher ranking. Would you like a promissory note?"

"No, I will trust your word. Will I be taking the ship as well?" Jee asked, a smile gracing his worn face. He was going home to be with his loved ones.

"Yes, I will require of you to return it to the Fire Nation. You will bring a letter from my pen stating what is needed. Thank you for your service, even if the fool Zhao had ordered your obedience. Thank you for returning to your post. That is all, send in the next man, and my Agni smile upon you." Zuko finished.

Lieutenant Jee bowed respectfully, invoking the protection of the Fire God upon Zuko during his travels. He left, sending in the next man. Zuko met with each of the thirty men in succession. To some he gave letters stating that they should be reassigned, to others he granted them leave to be with their families. After sever hours of this, he had a headache and his legs felt tired from supporting the sleeping waterbender.

"Wake up, sleepy head." He whispered softly into her ear. It was now about three hours after midday and he had finished his duties upon the ship.

Katara stirred, "I feel sick." Her voice moaned lightly. Zuko touched her forehead which felt slightly clammy. The blanket was too much for her warring temperatures. He pulled the blanket from her body before drawing the excess heat away from her.

"Better?" He asked, lightly. She nodded, stretching out slightly, causing him to groan. She was still nestled firmly on his lap. He quickly composed himself and smiled down at her, "Alright, let's go to my cabin."

Katara blushed then grew confused, "You promised we would join my brother and friends." She sat up quickly, and tried to hide herself from his sight. He cocked his head at her and squinted, as if trying to read her expression.

"And we will, I am a man of my word. I have to gather some of my belongings before we can go." He spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child. Standing up, he stretched his tingling legs. She was small, but holding her for two and a half hours had cut off circulation, "Did you sleep well, princess?" She nodded, but the confusion on her face did not disappear. "What's wrong?"

"I just thought you were taking me there to consummate the marriage." She whispered fearfully. She did not really want to make love to her new husband, which was vastly different from what she had originally assumed. She had always imagined that she would have found the warrior of her dreams, he would make her a gorgeous betrothal necklace which would be the envy of the tribe, and then she would anxiously await her first night as his wife. Now, she was married to the heir to the Fire Nation throne and she feared having to perform her duty as his wife, even though they had already had love once.

"We've already consummated our marriage. You are pregnant with my heir already, so now I plan to woo you and when you grow to love me, we will consummate our love. Until then, I will not sleep with you." He thought the words would make her feel better, but they did not. Tears welled up in her eyes and she brought her small hand to her mouth, "What's wrong, princess? Do you want to consummate the marriage now?" He gently pulled her behind him into his cabin.

"I just always imagined waking up next to my husband." She tried to choke back a sob. She didn't know why, but the idea of being married without waking up next to her husband seemed like a disgrace. He enveloped her into his arms, shushing her softly. The customs of the Fire Nation where the wife sleeps away from her husband in her own chambers were obviously a far cry from the customs of the Water Tribes.

"Princess, shhh, it is okay. I meant we will just refrain from sexual relations until we truly love each other. If you want to sleep in the same bed, or more likely right now, on the same mat, we can. Now, can you help me gather what is important here?" He rubbed soft circles into her arms before she nodded. He walked over to his closet and pulled out two small, black bags and two red capes. He brought the smaller cape over to her and placed it around her shoulders, fastening it at her neck, "Ah, it fits. That is good. It was mine when I was banished."

"Oh, great, I am the size of my husband when he was thirteen years old." She huffed, taking a bag from him and walking over to his dresser, "How much of this stuff do you want?"

"Just two tunics and two pairs of pants, I will get the smaller size for you." He said, searching the closet, "Oh, and you are much more attractive than I was at thirteen. Exactly how did you know my age?"

"You are the Fire Nation Prince, everyone knows your age and your birthday. You are either worshipped or feared by the entire world, Zuko." She rolled her eyes, taking whatever she thought was important and placing it in her bag. She paused when she came to his fire crown, "Is this what marks you as Prince of the Fire Nation?"

"No, I am pretty sure my face does a good job of that. It signals my status as Crown Prince and Heir to the Throne. Bring it, please. Also, in the bottom right drawer you will find several daggers and vials. Bring it all." He ordered her, sounding upset. He pulled out his Dual Dao Swords and set them to his back. "Should I bring my mask?"

"Yes, then we can relive good memories." She smiled, and then gasped at her own foolish words. Did she really think of them as good memories? Those memories marked a change in her life, the loss of her virtue.

He laughed out loud, knowing her reference, "I think I need to bring some fire whiskey if you want to relive that night, princess. Without it, I wouldn't know how to please you." He mumbled the last part softly.

"What was that?" She had heard him, but she didn't know what he meant by it.

"Nothing." He snapped, putting the last of his possessions in the bag. He turned on her, noting her cool appearance. Secretly, he thought she looked beautiful wearing his cape. He reached out his hand to her, "Come." She looked like she was debating if taking his hand was a good idea. He impatiently shook his hand and narrowed his eyes at her. Sighing she took his hand, falling in step slightly behind him.

"Are you sure about this?" Katara asked lightly.

"About what? Letting the crew go home to their families? Absolutely." Zuko said lightly, signing the last of the documents needed.

"How about me?" She asked meekly.

"I am at peace with all my decisions, Katara. Come, wife." She took his hand and allowed him to guide her out of the ship and away from the docks.

After they left the ship and had walked for several minutes, he asked her, "How will your friends react, do you think? Do you think they will be in the same place?" He took a turn, leading her past the place where their wedding ceremony had taken place. After a few more feet, they made another turn. Zuko obviously remembered the path he took her on earlier that day and the path he spirited her away on. After he realized that she wasn't going to answer, he looked at her critically and growled, "Well? Are you deaf?"

"How am I supposed to know the answer to either question?" Katara said, aspirated. He nodded stiffly and they continued to walk in peaceful silence until they exited the small city. He had brought her here as a confused and angry girl, now she was his wife. He came in as a man with no honor and future, he was leaving with a wife, an heir, and a plan for the future. Zuko held his wife's hand, but beyond that they did not talk or touch. Their capes flowed gently in the wind. After a few moments, Zuko stopped and removed the pack from Katara's shoulders. She tried to protest, saying that she could handle it. He refused to listen, taking her hand again. They had now been walking for almost ten minutes and they were about halfway to the camp. Both were curious and afraid of what could happen in the next few minutes.

"Best guess?" He prodded, amused at her frustrated sigh.

"I will be a widow by tomorrow?" She hissed, before stopping. They were now almost to where they had set up camp the night before, she recognized the area.

"If that is your best guess, I have severely underestimated your friends and brother. Come on, my beautiful princess." He pulled lightly at her hand.

"No, I can't. Sokka is going to kill me." She sounded frightened and was quaking.

"Your brother would never harm you, Katara. He loves you." He pulled her closer to the old campsite, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. With his other hand, he gripped hers. She trembled against him.

Suddenly there was a blast of air and trembling earth. Over it all was a scream, "Let go of my sister, you Fire Nation scum." Katara tucked herself behind her husband's cape and nestled her head into his shoulder.

Zuko turned to see the three angry faces, sighing. He knew that they would not react well at first, but he hoped to have more time to react than just a few moments. He looked at her, seeking her advice. Instead of seeing the reassuring glance he was hoping for, he saw eyes filled with absolute fear. She was frozen against him. Sighing, "I will only let go of my wife if she wishes me to. Do you wish me to let go of your hand, Katara?" She shook her head slowly.

She stepped from behind her husband, not letting go of his hand, "Zuko is joining us and will be teaching Aang firebending. Isn't that wonderful?"

Sokka took a step forward to look at his sister in the eyes, "What did he mean when he called you his wife?" His face was expressionless. He looked at his sister and then the man whose hands held onto her.

"It isn't true, is it?" Aang asked softly, meekly. Tears welled up in his eyes. Katara felt horrible, knowing that he had always had feelings for her. She did not reciprocate, but she did not want to hurt him. This was the wrong way to figure out. Zuko nodded, realizing the things which Katara was thinking sadly.

"They aren't lying." Toph answered for them. Sokka let out a cry of anguish before charging at the couple.


	6. V

_I do not own Avatar. I had a threatening review to update which literally made me laugh out loud.I am officially a FanFiction Author! (It is a Rite of Passage, right?) I would like to point out that killing me will be the opposite of helpful if you want this story finished. :-) Anyways, good thing I had started this anyways! Here is your much waited for update after three days of writing and revising. _

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Seeing her brother charging her, Katara screamed in terror and froze where she stood. Zuko tried to pull her gently away while he still had a chance to save her from her brother's anger. Her brother was about seventy feet away, but approaching fast. Seeing that Katara was not about to move, Zuko picked her up easily and placed her behind a tree, dropping his bags next to her. "It'll be okay, my princess." He said softly, wiping the tears which had begun to flow from her eyes.

"Please don't hurt him." Her voice choked out. Zuko nodded seriously. He knew his wife would be a little less than pleased if her brother was harmed. Besides, there was no honor in harming an angry child, no matter how much the child provoked or prodded. He drew out his Dao Swords carefully, handing them to Katara who took them dumbly with wide eyes. Wordlessly, he slipped from behind the tree to face his wife's angry brother.

In an instant, Sokka plowed right into Zuko before he had the chance to side step him, angry cries escaped his lips. Zuko's face snapped to the side as Sokka's fist connected with his nose. Zuko righted himself, saying nothing and refusing to retaliate the blows. Zuko managed to side-step most of the advances that Sokka threw at him. His feet moved slowly in bending forms, but he refrained from ending this battle through his bending, for fear of marring the indignant young man before him. He either blocked or side-stepped everything Sokka threw at him with ease. His skills as a hand-to-hand warrior showed through his calm reverie, although he only used them in the defensive.

Aang watched helplessly as Sokka continued to try to kill the Fire Nation Prince, not sure what to think or do. He was still in shock that his Katara had married another man. For the year that they had traveled together, Aang had a crush on Katara and he couldn't imagine her being the wife of any other man than himself. Sure, when Toph had first joined the group his feelings had changed slightly, but he still loved Katara. If it weren't for her, he would still be in a giant ice burg. He owed her his life and all the happiness of the world.

Up until now, Sokka still had not gotten in a second strike, but the first had caused blood to seep from Zuko's mouth and nose. Toph stood ready and steadily, watching the fight through the vibrations of the earth. She vowed that she put a stop to it if it got out of hand. No innocent blood would flow with death today. The vibrations she had felt between Katara and Zuko were strange. They were not quite loving, but they did not seem to be filled with distaste or hatred. They seemed to have some sort of unknown bond. She was worrying about him, but not in her normal mothering manner. It was something else.

Katara watched in horror as her sarcastic prediction came true before her very eyes, amazed that her husband was not fighting back. She was only lashing out a few moments ago when she said that she would be a widow tomorrow and she prayed silently to the moon and ocean spirits that her angry promise was not fulfilled. She may not love Zuko, but she didn't want him dead either. _Why wasn't he fighting back?_

With an angry cry, Sokka was able to grab onto Zuko's shirt, wrenching it in order to hold the royal still. He lifted up his boomerang and slashed at Zuko's arm in a repetitive motion. Zuko struggled slightly, but allowed himself to be hit by the water tribesman. Finally, the blunt blade cut through Zuko's sleeve and deep into his arm. Out of pain, more than anger or frustration, Zuko yelled as both his arms were engulfed in flame. Sokka screamed as his hands were burned, but refused to let go. He spit in the face of the Fire Prince before lifting his weapon. Zuko sated the flames quickly, crying out in anguish as the now red-hot boomerang blade came crashing toward his neck. His eye darted around, trying to find an escape from a searing death without causing further harm to the angry boy attacking him.

It never made contact, before they realized what had happened, they were both in earthen cages separated from each other with a few subtle flicks of Toph's wrist. She lifted up the earth where they stood and made a judge's bench out of rock. "That is quite enough." She yelled, with a stomp of her dainty feet, Aang was placed in a tall chair, overlooking her prisoners.

"Katara, please heal your idiotic brother." Toph's clear voice rose, nodding as the scared girl ducked from behind the tree with an angry look in her eyes. Toph turned toward Aang and barked, "Don't think you are better than me, Twinkletoes, the only reason I'm down here is because I have to be on the same plane as the prisoners to make sure they are telling the truth."

"Welcome, one and all to the Court of Toph Bei Fong." She shouted in a voice more suited for an Arena than a court room. Katara was healing her brother from as far as she could, while Zuko was tearing the sleeves from his garments to make bandages for his still bleeding arm. His shirt was essentially ruined, which was a disappointment because now he could no longer match his wife which was the point of the new shirt in the first place.

"Now, heal the other." Toph directed this statement at Katara before calling Momo and Appa to the court to sit in judgment. Zuko and Sokka both protested at the idea that the animals were to be judges. The animals answered Toph quickly, but Katara did not move. "I said now, Sugar Queen." Toph ordered the girl.

"Do not yell at my wife. If she chooses not to heal me, then so be it." Zuko defended Katara, knowing full well why the woman was refusing. He had broken his unspoken promise by burning her brother, even if on accident. Secretly, he was surprised that she wasn't going to heal him when under Ba Sing Se, she had offered to try to heal his scar. They were enemies then, they are married now. He wasn't going to force her; it was her choice.

"Shut it, Sparky. She needs to show impartiality." Toph snapped back with an air of nobility.

"Sparky?" He asked, incredulously. Katara laughed at Zuko's voice, but not as loud as Toph. She started to walk toward him meekly. She wasn't sure if she was happy with him or angry at him.

"So, let me get this straight, for Momo and Appa's sake. Snuzzles is angry at Sparky because Sparky married Sugar Queen. Sparky joined the group to teach Twinkle toes firebending to take down the Fire Lord? How much does that have to do with the marriage?" Toph summed up the recent events with Aang nodding toward the last statement.

"Snuzzles, Twinkle toes, Sparky, Sugar Queen? Seriously?" Zuko half yelled full of indignation, hissing as Katara applied her glowing water to his arms. It wasn't working so she climbed into his prison cell and began to heal him. Zuko was briefly distracted from his current situation watching her work. Seeing his cells and skin knit back together under her careful touch was intriguing. Her hands glowed and the water was soothing over his hacked arm.

"Toph has a thing for nicknames, you just get used to it." Katara said softly as she turned her attentions to his face. With her healing abilities she gently wiped away all of the scraps, blood, and bruises on his face – the face that only she was allowed to touch, not that she knew that. Zuko had not let anyone, save the royal physician, touch his face since his father marred him. Katara was the one exception, starting in the cave under Ba Sing Se.

"Oh, is that so, my princess?" He spoke so lightly the others barely heard it. She blushed at his enduring name for her before climbing out of the cell. "What is your nickname then, earthbender?" Zuko said lightly, silently accepting his new nickname if that would make him a member of the Avatar's group.

"I am the Blind Bandit, the empress of the earth! You should know me." Toph bended a castle out of the ground around them as if to prove her point.

Zuko nodded his head, impressed at her skill, "You're the girl wanted throughout the Earth Kingdom?"

Toph grinned, "One and the same. You never answered my question. How much does this marriage have to do with your sudden interest in joining the Avatar?"

Truthfully, it was really just the straw that broke the Ostrich Horse's back. He had been considering joining the Avatar ever since he had been separated from his crew from the time Zhao called upon their loyalty to the Fire Nation until he escaped from Ba Sing Se. During his time alone with his Uncle, Zuko had seen the horrors his people and the one hundred year war had inflicted on the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes. So, no, his marriage to the girl only had given him the excuse to do what he knew was his duty. He exasperatedly stated, "No, it is only a joyous coincidence. My marriage has nothing to do with it directly."

"You're lying!" Accused Sokka furiously. Katara was inclined to agree with her brother, it seemed too much of a coincidence.

"I am not a liar, peasant!" Zuko shouted back.

"Toph?" Aang's voice sounded unsure, as if he did not really want to know. As if to echo his question, Appa groaned and slapped his large tail against the earth. By this time, the sun had almost set in the horizon, giving the entire court scene an eerie appearance.

"'tis the truth, as amazed as I am. Either that, or Zuko is a good liar. Lie to me if you will, Zuko." Toph sounded unsure of her answer, asking for a way to test and confirm her suspicions.

"Uh…?" Zuko wasn't sure what to say. He motioned Katara over for her opinion. Rolling her eyes, she complied and whispered something in his ears. "I am not going to use that!" He shouted at the girl who simply shrugged with a simpering expression.

"Don't get so touchy, it was just a suggestion, husband." Katara smirked at his blush.

"I'm waiting, Sparky." Toph's voice held an eye roll.

"I do not care about my honor. Honor is a fool's treasure." Zuko suddenly said firmly, almost convincingly.

"You know, Sparky, you are not a very good liar. I bet your hands are clammy and you've gone pale!" Toph laughed joyously, adding seriously, "Sokka, the marriage is a different matter entirely." Zuko was actually quite calm, looking as if he told the truth. His face held no expression and his voice was unwavering. He rubbed his fingers against his palms, but they were dry.

"Why did they get married then if not to seal the deal?" Sokka screamed, angry and frustrated. His eyes were beginning to bulge out of his head and the veins on his neck were protruding and pulsing quite obviously. Katara, seeing her brother's rage, skirted to the other side of Zuko's cage and as far away from the angry water tribe boy as possible.

"Well?" Aang quipped, redirecting the question to Zuko and Katara.

"I ask the questions here!" Toph shouted, she then visibly calmed and asked sweetly, "Well?"

"We have a very strong bond." Katara answered evenly, knowing that it was the only thing she could say that she could definitely be sure that Toph would believe. To her relief, Toph nodded thoughtfully.

"We are deeply in love." Zuko said, his voice was flat and emotionless while his face was completely deadpanned.

"Tell me that was a lie." Sokka practically begged, turning, "He doesn't even look sincere! You have to see that."

"Well, as I cannot see him, I wouldn't know. However, it seems like the truth." Again, Toph sounded unsure.

"Seems like?" Aang snapped, unbelieving that Katara could really be in love with the Fire Prince, after all he was of the nation that took her mother and massacred the Air Nomads! Now, Aang knew that Zuko wasn't to blame; he was only a teenager himself. Still, it was hard to separate the person from the deeds done.

"Well, it is almost as if he is not completely sure himself. I think he is sure he loves Katara, but how can he know that she loves him?" Toph suddenly gained a philosophical tone to her voice, speaking softly.

"Ask her then, almighty empress of the earth." Sokka said sarcastically.

"No, I cannot. It isn't our place to know." Toph said quietly, her brow furrowing. "They're married and Sparky is joining the group. That's that. Aang?"

"I need a Fire bending teacher." Aang started, but Sokka interrupted.

"No, they must have just gotten married today. Katara is too young to be married and they haven't had their wedding night yet. They can get divorced! Pronounce them divorced, Aang! You are the Avatar, you have that right!" Sokka cried jubilantly.

Aang looked like he was going to say something, but Zuko spoke first, very quietly, "We have already shared our wedding night."

"You did what with my sister? Katara was innocent! She didn't even know about what married people do. You stole my sister's innocence!" Sokka started raving and hacking at the cell wall. Zuko was actually inclined to agree with Sokka's assessment. He himself had only followed the Fire Whiskey induced instinct. Katara was young, although how young he was not sure yet. That was a private topic for another time. For the time being, the façade that he knew what was needed to know about his wife was important to keep up, especially with the amazing mind-reading earthbender fact checking everything he said.

"I am not stupid, Sokka. Besides, Gran Gran told me all about the intimate relationships between married people before we left the South Pole. That and the fact that I have helped deliver babies." Katara shouted at her over-protective and quick tempered sibling.

"Animal babies!" He shouted back.

"And human babies. Seriously Sokka, I am not that young! I am married to Zuko and if you love me, you are going to have to accept that." She crossed her arms across her chest and stubbornly sat down, purposely looking away from her brother.

"Shh, it is okay, princess. Your brother will learn to accept our union. Don't cry." Zuko had turned to see tears streaming down Katara's face. He reached toward her through the bars of his earthen cage. His voice was velvety. She turned and looked at him with sad eyes.

"Princess? She is no princess. Why do you keep calling her that?" Sokka complained.

"I told him what you told Yue, Sokka, that I was the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe." She smiled sadly.

"Don't bring Yue into this!" He shouted at her. Toph, deciding enough was enough, bended the judge's bench and Zuko's cage back into the ground. She also bended the throne she had set up for Aang down. She left Sokka in his cage in order to protect the entire group. So far, Sokka didn't seem to notice. He was still very upset.

"Well, she is a princess now anyways. Being the consort to the Fire Nation Prince kind of does that." Zuko shrugged, walking over to where Katara was, picking up his Dao Swords from the ground and re-sheathing them on his back. Katara, still sitting on the ground, looked up at him curiously. He simply offered her a tight, sad smile.

"What does consort mean?" Aang asked, innocently. Zuko turned to look at the boy.

"It means that she is my wife. It tells others that she is mine." A hint of possessiveness graced his voice with the second statement that both angered and thrilled Katara. The mix of emotions was confusing and strange.

"Yours? I am an independent woman who makes her own choices, thank you very much." She snapped at Zuko. He shrugged, not wanting to challenge his wife at the moment, as she was currently his only ally and a weak one at that.

"Don't you mean independent child?" Sokka cried.

"I mean what I said, Sokka. I don't want your opinion, brother, you are not my friend right now." She said, stubbornly, with a sense of arrogance.

"What about the spoiled prince who just referred to you as his property?" Sokka challenged.

By now, Aang had backed away from the three still-funding people with Appa hoping to stay out of their personal matters. He had a lot of thinking, meditating to do. His heart was crushed at this new found knowledge and he needed time to find peace. Plus, he knew Zuko's statement that Katara belonged to him was directed toward himself, a warning to the Avatar and anyone else who might be attracted to the pretty bender.

Toph, on the other hand, was still standing nearby. She was fully enjoying the show and soaking in the drama before her. On her shoulder sat Momo who was more or less oblivious of the antics before him.

"He is not my favorite person in the world either." She shot him a dark look, turning toward the earthbender, "Neither are you. Momo is my only friend!" Zuko laughed out loud at this declaration before realizing it is a very dangerous and stupid thing to laugh at any woman, but even more so when that woman is your angry and pregnant wife. Katara, for her own credit, simply glared before taking Momo and walking away, leaving the two men and Toph behind.

"You've been married how long and you've managed to mess things up. Your marriage is doomed." Sokka sneered. Toph, noting that Sokka was now tremendously calmer in spite of his obvious attempt to provoke Zuko, released him from his cage. The watertribe boy spat at the Fire Prince before turning to follow his sister, hesitating to hear the Fire Prince's response.

It was a good thing that Zuko did value his honor and the will of the great Fire God, otherwise Sokka would wish he was dead for the wrath of the Fire Prince. Zuko was trying to remain very calm, thinking of his future and his honor. He took a sharp intake of breath, releasing it very slowly.

Then Zuko very deliberately shrugged while watching them walk away, "With her comes a great and powerful tempest, but our bond is stronger than a misunderstanding." He started to walk in the same general direction, picking up the rest of his possessions on the way. He was not so stupid as to think that Katara would want to see him tonight, so he went to the edge of the camp and sat down to meditate. He was close enough to be seen, but far enough away that his presence would not tempt any stray icicles in the middle of the night. He wasn't about to duel his wife or tempt her into rage. Again, he was curious about his wife, his princess, his Katara. He would have to spirit her away for a private conversation very soon.

"He's telling the truth." Toph whispered softly to herself before walking back to camp.


	7. VI

_I do not own Avatar. I am going to gloss over the Sun Warriors/Dancing Dragon, but it is included in this chapter. By the way, school started for me today and work started on Tuesday. So, the only reason you got this update was my (teenaged) sister watched the kids I was supposed to be babysitting. :-) I will update, on Saturdays, every other week. Meaning the next update for this is going to be the 8th of Sept.  
_

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It had almost been a week before they arrived at the Western Air Temple. Zuko seemed to know where it was and would back Aang up whenever other members of the group questioned the direction they were taking. This caused suspicion throughout the group, but no one directly questioned the angry Fire Prince. They muttered against him, but his arrogant nobility radiated in his dealings with them. So, out of fear and anger, they avoided the Fire Prince as much as possible. Momo and Appa were indifferent to the prince and the hostility of the other group members.

During this time of traveling, Katara stubbornly refused to talk to or go near Zuko. She purposely slept next to the giant Sky Bison, away from her husband and her friends. Knowing she wasn't happy with him, Zuko slept on the outskirts of the camp in order to give all of the group their much needed privacy. She would sit next to the supplies while they flew, leaving Zuko to sit as far from her as possible. Katara was still angry about the possessiveness in Zuko's voice when he explained to Aang what the word consort meant.

She also had not been associating with Sokka very much, but she talked to him much more than she talked to Zuko. Her brother was the thorn in her side she could not rid of. During their conversations, he would pick at her, trying to find the real reason she got married to the arrogant prince. She vehemently refused to answer his prodding, threatening their bond as siblings if he did not stop. If they were not siblings, Sokka would be just as ignored as Zuko. She did, however, reconcile with the other members of their traveling party.

During their travels, Zuko had adopted some of Katara's chores as well as a few of Sokka's. He helped gather fire wood, unload Appa, and set up the tents. Every night, Katara would make dinner and then serve the food, leaving Zuko's bowl next to the fire. Zuko never complained and was pleasantly surprised to find that his pretty, young wife was an excellent cook. After dinner, Zuko would gather the discarded bowls and wash them, saying nothing.

He started washing the dishes after the first full day being with the Avatar's group. During that first full day, he noticed that Katara did practically all of the chores and she was tired and cranky by the end of the day. He did not think it was right that because she was the only woman in the group who could do chores, she had to do them all. She did not seem to mind per se, but it still bothered Zuko that his wife was practically the slave of her friends. So, while she was trying to sort the food and supplies in her kitchen bags, Zuko wordlessly took the dishes and the water pot to the river and washed them. Katara said nothing when he returned with the clean dishes, but she did offer him a soft smile. The second day she tried to protest when he gathered the dishes, but he insisted quite adamantly. She ended up throwing her bowl at him and stalking off to the woods. After that, she just left her bowl on the ground and would go to practice waterbending while he washed up.

Other than the unbalanced distribution of work and the stubborn will of Katara, traveling with the Avatar had been uneventful. If Katara was still having her heat and ice attacks, he would not know as she stayed quiet and distant from the whole group. He hoped she was not, but his uncertainties told him otherwise. He had a theory, but would have to speak to her in order to confirm it.

They had arrived to the Western Air Temple around midnight after flying between the Fire Nation Islands and the occupied Earth Kingdom. As soon as they arrived and unpacked Appa, everyone but Katara decided to go straight to bed. Zuko passed out from exhaustion. Katara had announced, before he fell asleep, that she was going to bathe and practice bending to no one particular.

Now, it was almost dawn and he was sitting far away from the other slumbering people with his eyes closed in meditation. He was trying to push his memories and worries away, focusing on his inner flame instead. Today would be his first day of teaching the Avatar how to Fire Bend and he had no idea what to expect. He did not feel ready nor worthy, even though he had become a Master Firebender two years ago. He still had much to learn, but he had already achieved a level many Firebenders never obtained. More, he was terrified of taking over the affairs of the Fire Nation if the Avatar was successful in defeating his father. He wondered if he could be trusted with the welfare of his nation. These fears he tried to replace through the emptying of his mind to the smoothly nature of fire.

Like every morning, he felt his inner flame dance and become stronger as glorious Agni lit and pulled the great orb of the Sun across the sky. Still in meditation, Zuko tried not to laugh as he heard Katara groan in frustration as she too was pulled from her slumbers. He almost failed when he heard her say something that sounded suspiciously like, "Agni dammit." It seemed as if his gods were rubbing off on her, even if she wasn't talking to him. He already knew much about La and Tui and respected them as the gods and spirits of the Moon and Ocean, so she was not having the same effect upon himself.

"Good morning, princess." Zuko greeted her, as he did every morning. He kept his eyes closed, taking deep and slow breaths.

"There is nothing good about morning." She muttered, angrily. Zuko was surprised that she answered him. It was a rarity that she spoke to him. He chuckled good heartedly at his wife's disgruntled tone of voice and opened his eyes.

"Even you, dear waterbender, need the sun. Agni has to light the great fiery orb sometime." He teased lightly, not sure if she would respond or not. She looked beautiful to him, even if her hair was mussed in her sleep and her face held a gentle scowl. She did not look too upset, actually, just frustrated that she was up.

"Why must morning come so early?" She complained, walking away from him to go stock the kitchen with her supplies. He counted this as a victory; she had willingly spoken to him twice. He had not yet tried to apologize to her for the way his words sounded, even though he knew that he should. The idea to apologize to the stubborn bender was too humbling for him to embrace at the moment, so he too was being stubborn.

Knowing that Katara was not going to talk to him and the others would not be up for hours, Zuko decided that he needed to clean up a bit. His clothing reeked and he felt disgusting. He had never been without bathing that long before and with the animals, he was beginning to feel as if he would never get clean. There was a pool a small walk away from the temple house that they had chosen to occupy that was once used for the very purposes of bathing and washing. Having discovered it the first time he had come here, Zuko gathered his things and walked to it from memory.

He had only one robe left, long enough to reach his feet. He decided to bathe first, and then wash his clothing while wearing the robe. Nodding to himself, he stripped himself of his tunic and pants, walking into the cool pool. He raised his body temperature so that the water around him warmed. He swam and dipped under the water, thankful for the cleansing flow he felt around his body. Once he was finally clean, he got out of the pool and pulled on the robe.

Kneeling next to the pool he began to wash clothes. He had only been washing for a few moments when he heard an annoyed voice, "So I am good enough to be your property, but I am not good enough to wash your clothes? It is nice to know I am so valued." Although he could not see her face because she was behind him, he could practically hear the eye roll. He stiffened at her claiming he thought of her as property when in reality, he valued her as a person and hated himself for not apologizing.

"I do not view you as property nor do I view you as a slave, I can wash my own clothes." He turned to face her, becoming angered when he saw that she had the dirty clothes of the rest of their companions that she was going to wash.

"I wash all of the clothes. I should be honored to wash my husband's clothing as well. Or am I not good enough?" She challenged him, causing him to literally shake in frustration. He was instantly angry at himself, at her, at her stupid brother who had implied that he thought of her as property. He clenched his fists and jaw, willing himself to calm down lest he do something he would regret. He took a deep breath and instantly visibly calmed.

"No, Katara, it is not that you are not good enough. It is that you are too valuable to have to do all of these chores. You are my princess, you are not my possession or slave and I regret ever making you feel like you were." He walked toward her, catching her in a warm embrace. She stiffened at first, dropping the clothing around her before melting into his embrace. Then, as if she realized she was still mad at him, she pushed away and ran back toward the temple, leaving the clothes.

Zuko watched her go before taking up the clothing that she had dropped. He decided to wash hers and the blind earthbender, but to make the water tribesman and the Avatar take care of their own laundry. When he brought them back to camp, Katara looked at him suspiciously, dancing around him and avoiding him all day. He tried to teach Aang the basics of Fire Bending, but then could not even produce any sort of flame. He could bend what was already there, but was unable to create fire with his chi.

Later that night, Zuko approached the group, "Listen everybody, I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff." His voice was full of embarrassment.

Toph flushed, answering quickly, "Hey, don't look at me! I didn't touch your stuff." Zuko jerked his head backward and stared at the blind girl. She had said that far too quickly and defensively to answer the question properly.

"Katara, are all of our possessions accounted for?" He asked, trying to figure out what Toph could have taken and why.

Katara glared at him for several seconds, "How should I know? I haven't touched your things either." Her voice was cold and even, effective sobering Zuko's thoughts.

"I meant my firebending. It isn't gone, just much weaker." Zuko suddenly snapped.

Katara laughed, "Oh, the irony of timing. When we needed you to not bend, you were powerful." She stood up to leave the conversation. Zuko figured she would go bend, so he turned his attention to the group.

"You need to get in touch with the original benders and the origin of firebending. For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles. One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave. That's where I met them. They were blind just like me, so we understood each other. I was able to learn earthbending. Not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world." Toph lectured Zuko, who had just nodded before excusing himself to meditate a bit. Later, Aang came and talked to him about getting in touch with the true origin of firebending.

Zuko had found immense frustration when he realized that his bending was affected by his change of attitude and control of himself. It didn't help when Katara had snippily remarked her pleasure that he had lost his bending abilities. With Toph's recommendation of going to the original source of firebending and learning to bend as an extension of oneself, instead as a result of rage, Aang and Zuko were going to be leaving. The plan was to go find the Ancient Sun Warrior temple which was less than a day's walk away from the Air Temple. Flying on Appa, they could arrive in an hour. They decided to make it a day trip for the next day.

Before they left after sun rise, Zuko grabbed his wife by the wrist and pulled her gently to a secluded area. She fought lightly against him, but he did not seem to care. Once he got sufficiently away from the temple and her brother, Zuko stopped while barely avoiding the strike from Katara's thin hand to his face. Spinning her around while capturing her wrists, he noted, "You are tired, Katara. Have you not been sleeping well?"

She stopped struggling as surprise graced her features, "Why do you care?" Her voice held surprise, rather than hostility. She looked exhausted, dark circles formed under her eyes and her face had been drained of color the past few days. She was beginning to move slower too, not as carefree as she normally was. In short, she looked like she was about to fall asleep standing at any moment.

"I am getting rather fond of you, even if you hate me." Zuko smirked. He reached up and gently cupped her cheek. She stared at him, unsure of what she was supposed to say to him.

Katara shuddered at his touch, "I don't hate you." She grumbled, crossing her hands over her chest. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but then opted just to answer his question, "How can I sleep well when it is freezing!" Every night, sleeping alone and far from her friends she froze. Her blankets and mat from the South Pole did nothing and she yearned for her parka or the clothes burned at her wedding. She had started even wearing her arm and leg wrappings to try to compensate for the loss of heat, but to no avail. She continued to freeze.

Zuko looked at her, confused, "We are very near the Fire Islands, Katara, and it is almost the Summer Solstice. It is not cold." She looked at him hard for a moment before shrugging. She was cold at night. "Anyways, I want you to try to get a nap before you hurt yourself." She raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to protest, "No, you need to listen to me. You don't need to be getting sick. Besides, Toph, Sokka, and Momo should be able to handle themselves for a few hours." She laughed softly, a sound Zuko had not heard often, before nodding. Then Zuko walked toward Appa, leaving Katara to wonder why he cared so much.

She wasn't sure what to think of the Fire Prince, her husband. One moment he was calm and patient while the very next he was angry and shouting. He seemed confused; conflicted even though he had said he was at peace with his decisions. Yawning, she realized that he was right and that he did care for her. She decided to do what he told her to, waiting for the dawn to wane to midday so she could nap. Making this decision, she waved to the parting Bison, smiling as Aang eagerly waved back and Zuko nodded.

Once the Avatar and the Fire Prince got to the ancient temple, they discovered that the Ancient Tribe was still alive and flourishing. In addition, the extinct dragons were not extinct. The dragons, the original fire benders, taught Zuko the ways of bending during their short stay. They surrounded the future Fire Lord and taught him many things about Agni and about his duty as the human descendant of the great dragon. They showed him his destiny, his future. They granted him the highest blessings of Agni for the great dragon's son.

To Aang they granted confidence and the blessing of dragons. They did not teach Aang much beyond showing him his destiny. They taught both of them the true origin of fire bending and to allow fire to be a form of life. The Sun Warriors taught the two companions different ways to meditate and to control their chi. Zuko feared he would forget all he was told. A day trip turned into a two day trip of learning and meditating. Aang learned much about bending and the Fire God blessed Zuko with peacefulness during the stay.

For both Master and pupil, the trip proved to be very spiritual and beneficial. It was also beneficial to their friendship and establishment of good rapport. The Avatar began to see Zuko in a different light, seeing the great character of the man behind the scar. Between the bond he gained with Zuko and the advice of the dragons, Aang forgave Zuko for marrying Katara as they were flying back to the Air Temple. The mention of his wife instantly had Zuko wanting to make sure she was feeling alright. It also made him wonder whether or not she missed him, worried about him while he was away.

They got to the temple house a little after midnight and Zuko told Aang to sleep well for tomorrow the real work would begin before stealing away to check on Katara. When he got near her, he could see that she was shivering, in spite of the almost too warm weather and thick blankets covering her. Frowning, he realized that her body must have still been freezing and boiling at its own will without her consent. He knelt down beside her, placing his hand over her sea of chi and warmed her. He smiled as he heard her moan softly in relief. Once she was warmed to a normal temperature, he moved to leave so to go to sleep himself, but her soft hand flew to his to hold him to her. She whispered softly, "Please don't go, Zuko. Stay with me."

He stared at her for a moment before nodding, "As you wish, Tara." His voice sounded slurred because he had been awake too long. Tomorrow afternoon, both of them would need a nap. He settled down next to her, keeping his hand on her lower chest to regulate her body temperature, and pulled her close into his side. She intertwined their fingers and settled her head onto his arm, relinquishing her pillow to his comfort. Before long both of their breathing regulated and they feel into peaceful sleep with Zuko holding Katara close to his side.

It was surprisingly comfortable for Zuko to have the waterbender cuddled up to his chest. Likewise, Katara found her sleep to be the best she had since her river encounter. When the sun rose, they were still embraced, neither wanting to disturb the other. After several minutes of feeling the pull from the great orb, Katara sighed and nestled her face to the crook of Zuko's neck and pressed her curled body closer to his side. Her movement signaled that she was awake and Zuko chuckled at her attempt to hide from the sun, "Good morning, wife." He spoke gently, pulling her even closer and placing a gentle kiss on her temple.

Pulling away, she looked at her husband, "I could get used to sleeping beside you, my husband." She spoke softly, a light blush ran over her face causing Zuko to smirk. She looked well rested and her eyes were gleaming in the morning sun. Her body still molded against his and their hands were intertwined. Lifting up their hands, Katara looked at them, tracing them with her free hand. Her light touch was gentle and curious. Zuko watched silently as she turned her attention to the scar on his face, "You are actually kind of beautiful." When her soft fingers made contact, he moaned softly while closing his eyes. To his surprise she laid a soft kiss on his scarred temple, like he had done just moments before. Then, she softly placed her hand on his chest, hands still together.

After several moments of enjoying each other's company, Zuko sighed, "I need to meditate, princess." Katara sat up, releasing his hand from hers. She shrugged and stood to walk away toward the kitchen. Zuko was going to offer to teach her how to meditate or something to spend some much needed time with her, but instead he watched her walk away. He would capture her time later.

Katara went to make breakfast as Zuko settled down to meditate. It wasn't long before images were flashing across his mind. Normally, he pushed the images away, but today he allowed them to engulf him.

He did not get the opportunity fully immerse into his meditation because before long a light shuffling sound could be heard off to the side of the room and Zuko smirked, "Is that why they call you the Blind Bandit? Because you really steal precious artifacts of the Fire Nation?" He smiled before wincing when he heard his Fire Crown clang against the stone floor.

"How did you know?" She half shouted, not knowing that Zuko would be in this particular room. Zuko and Katara's things were being kept together in their room, but up until last night Zuko had slept outside of the temple. When Toph woke up, she knew she had to return the Fire Crown she had borrowed the days before now that Zuko was back.

"I just know these things. Why did you take it?" Zuko smiled, still not opening his eyes.

"Since when did you sleep with Sugar Queen?" She shot back, unwilling to admit her purpose behind having the treasure of the Fire Prince.

Still unmoving Zuko smiled brightly, "Yes, well, I slept with my wife last night."

"I don't wanna know!" Toph squealed, running from the room. Zuko smirked again, opening up his eyes. He stood, checked his possessions, noting she must have returned all that she had taken before changing his cloths and going to join his wife in the kitchen.

"So, I suppose we need to talk." He said, leaning against the doorframe. She nodded, stirring the boiling substance above the fire. "Need help, princess?" His voice was soft and loving. It was enough to pull her delicate blush.

"Uh, slice one of those fruits?" She said, motioning to the bowl of fruit toward her right. He nodded and walked over to where they were. "So, um, how did you sleep? I mean, I bet you were up for most of the night trying to warm me." She smiled softly. She had slept very well, secure in his warm embrace.

"I can regulate temperature in my sleep. I slept perfectly. How did you sleep, little waterbender?" He was almost done cutting the fruit and was considering cutting a strawberry to share with her.

"I slept really well, actually." She blushed lightly. She had practically begged Zuko to sleep with her. This was something that women were never to do in the Southern Water Tribe. They did not seek the affections of any man, but were expected to be submissive and meek. In return, their husbands promised fidelity. Taking the hand of her husband and pulling him toward her would have been something of shame. "Can I ask you a question?"

She blushed and he raised an eyebrow at her innocence. She was about to ask him a question that had bugged her the last two days while he was gone. When he nodded his head, she blushed deeper. She kept blushing and it was making him wonder what was on her mind. "You can ask of me anything, wife. I shall keep nothing from you."

She gasped, "Really?" He nodded solemnly, trying to hide his smile. "Why were you gone a second day?" She asked too quickly, giving away that she was not really going to ask that question.

"That wasn't what you were going to ask, but I'll tell you later, princess. We need to feed them now before there is a sedition on your hands." He picked up the bowls, chopsticks, and the dish of fruit, walking from the room. She nodded before picking up the pot of rice.

"When Toph is working with Aang?" Katara whispered, almost running to keep up with Zuko's long strides. Zuko noticed her struggle and slowed his pace to something more comfortable for her.

"Of course, after morning bending with the Avatar, I would be more than happy to entertain you. Then nap with you, if that is at all possible. Then, I will teach you how to meditate so you can stay with me longer in the mornings." He smiled at her grin. Once they had set their burdens down, he took her hand and pulled her into a hug. It was a warm hug that was filled with numerous promises.


	8. VII

_Yo tengo nada. _

_I am so sorry this is a day late. I wasn't able to write it until last night. Then my computer had a Java-related meltdown (It crashed). Then I had to have my sister proofread. _

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"How dare you!" Katara yelled as she stalked up to where Zuko was practicing his fire bending forms. Katara must have finished gathering the fruit she wanted and Aang had just started earth bending with Toph. Zuko's forehead farrowed as he tried to recall what he could've done in the past three hours to make Katara upset. The last time they had spoken, Katara had agreed that they needed to bond and get to know each other better.

When Katara finally reached him, she reached out to slap him. Her hand connected with his face with a satisfying sound. Zuko blinked; shocked that Katara had dared touch him. Not wanting to fight, he turned to leave the area, retreating toward the temple itself.

"How dare you!" Katara cried again, reaching to grab his shirt. He turned to look at her, still unsure of what she could be angry about. He was puzzled because only an hour before that, they were getting along just fine. He sighed, trying to think of what could have happened in the past hour to anger her.

"What exactly did I dare to do?" His voice was sharp as he caught her right hand before it made a second connection with his face, pulling it down and tucking it under his arm before capturing the other. She struggled against his grip, clenching her mouth shut as she tried to pull away. His voice was menacing and low as he continued, "The punishment for striking the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation is steep. You had better start talking, waterbender." Although she could not here it, his threats held his subtle amusement. She tried to kick at him, turning his amused frustration to anger.

He pulled her close, still holding her slim wrists uncomfortably. She stared at him, just as menacing as he was staring at her. Suddenly, her foot was sweeping his from underneath him, but he stayed his hold on her hands. Landing on his back with the water tribe girl falling on top of him, Zuko quickly turned the tables, straddling the girl's slim waist. He was careful to place only enough weight to pin her down securely. Although he was angry at her for this ridiculous display, he knew didn't want to hurt her or their child. He pinned her two wrists above her head with one hand. The other hand began to soothingly stoke her face, although the anger in his eyes had not softened. He was attempting to make himself calm through his gentle touch.

After a few moments of this, he had visibly calmed. With an almost inaudible voice he asked one more time, "What did I do to cause such fury?"

Tears welled up in Katara's eyes, "Toph has been making comments about intimacy all day. She said you told her we slept together last night." Katara felt Zuko's entire body tense for several seconds before he let go of her hands and embraced her, quaking in laughter. "It is not funny. She said these things in front of Sokka and Aang. They're ready to kill you." Katara was obviously embarrassed and distressed.

"We are married, princess." Zuko laughed softly. Katara narrowed her eyes at him. "Toph made an assumption." Zuko said, rolling off his wife and pulling her into his lap. He began caressing her hair softly. She was tense in his arms, but no longer struggling against him.

"What happened?" She finally choked out, her voice hoarse from unshed tears. She was still sitting very tensely on his lap. Normally, holding her so closely would have resulted in desire. Now, however, Zuko's only desire was to sooth her fears.

"She was returning borrowed items and did not realize I was in the room. When she asked, I told her I spent the night with you. She left before I could clarify." Zuko smiled softly. He was running his hands up and down her back in comfortable patterns.

She smiled softly back at him, acknowledging the truth to his story. Hesitantly, she reached out and cupped his face with her slender hands. Zuko's own hands stilled as she ran her thumbs delicately crossed his face. He moaned lightly, turning his head slightly as she came into contact with his scar. Her caress stopped and she stared fearfully into his eyes. He smiled lightly before turning his head a bit more to kiss the wrist closest to his scar while wrapping his arms tightly around her.

She continued her exploration, blowing cool air onto the tough skin of his face. He shuddered at the feeling. Slowly, he brought her lips to his and kissed her. She responded instantly, bringing her hands to his chest. She pulled herself flush to him, deepening the kiss before moving her hands to his hair and tangling them there. Together they pressed to the other closer, their actions became frenzied and their breathing more ragged.

As if he was been struck by lightning, Zuko jerked away, "Not like this." He whispered, pushing her away from him slightly. She protested, trying to pull him back to her lips. "No, Katara." He stated firmly, peeling her arms from around him and folding them onto her lap.

"Why not?" She whispered, her voice quivering as rejection flooded through her.

"Because, princess, I want this to be a result of love, not anger or desperation." He sighed, closing his eyes. This is what he kept telling himself. He wanted their first intimate moments as a married couple to be special.

"Fine." She said, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling embarrassed. "If that's how you want it, I will only allow you to sleep with me because I might freeze to death without you. Any other time, you will not come near enough to touch me. Does that work for you, your highness?" Zuko looked at his wife strangely.

"No, it does not. How am I supposed to make you love me if I cannot hold you? Touch you? How am I supposed to fall in love with you?" He asked, reaching out to touch her face with the back of his hand in a caress.

She flinched away from his touch, turning away from him slightly, "There are other ways."

"Yes, but this is the surest way." He smirked, trying again to stroke her cheek.

"How many others have you bed?" Katara asked quickly, avoiding his touch again. She stood, slipping away from him.

"Only one, my princess. I have only had intimate relations with you." Zuko answered, honestly. He was only a boy when his father banished him. He had had no desire for any woman, although he had ample opportunity. It was not until that day on the river's edge when he spilled his seed into the young waterbender that he had ever given into the desire of a man.

"Oh, sure, I believe that." She said sarcastically, running away. Zuko groaned her name in frustration. He still needed to talk to her. He still wanted to know more about her. He wanted to begin to woo her so that he could become one with her again without feeling guilty. He wanted to share love with her.

He stalked after her with a determined pace. Turning the corner, he walked into someone he did not expect. "I need to talk to you about my sister, jerkbender."

Angrily, stream rose from his head and hands as he nodded slightly. Turning around and walking a short distance to where two boulders stood. He sat down on one of them, crossing his legs, placing his hands on his knees. "What do you want to know?" His voice was raspy, but calm. He watched as Sokka took his place on the other rock.

"What happened in Ba Sing Se? Or beneath it?" Sokka started, this question being more curious than accusing.

Zuko hung his head and sighed. It was not a pleasant memory for him. Not that spending time with Katara was bad, but his sister had been a problem. "We were both captured, as a ploy to capture the Avatar, and imprisoned beneath the catacombs. We were there for several hours together and we talked. We learned that we both lost our mothers to the war. She offered to heal my scar, but I am glad she didn't." He enjoyed the feeling of her soft caresses against it. In addition, the scar was part of who he was now.

He looked up, catching sight of his beautiful wife spying on them from the nearby bushes. He watched as she blushed at being detected, but stood firmly. He smirked at her lightly, a half-smile reserved for her. She grinned back, relieved that he was not angry at her.

"Then?" Sokka prompted.

"She was rescued by Toph and I was left alone to face my sister. My sister ridiculed me severely before my uncle rescued me." He shrugged, not wanting to reveal everything that happened. It was cold and damp in the catacombs and they were both in light, thin linen robes. Out of necessity, they had made a truce, clinging to each other for warmth. It was then that Zuko began to desire the love of a woman, specifically the young waterbender he had held close to his side.


	9. VIII

_Once again, I own absolutely nothing. I'm going to edit this later, so I apologize for grammatical and spelling errors. Be grateful for the update!  
_

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"Why am I so cold, Zuko?" Katara moaned lightly in her sleep as she snuggled closer to Zuko's chest. Zuko himself had been awake trying to regulate her temperature all night. It was a preposterous battle between hot and cold and the temperature changed without any thread of normalcy.

Earlier that day, he had accidently walked in on her bathing. It ended up being a very good thing as her body temperature had literally frozen the water which surrounded her. He had to warm up the water enough to pull her out. It was difficult for him to concentrate on getting her nude form to a healthy temperature once he had released her from her icy binds, but he managed to do it without having to dive into the cold water he retrieved her from. It was surprisingly easy to avoid having lustful thoughts about his nude wife knowing that her body was dangerously cold.

Her temperature problem was getting worse and it had both of them staggered. From Zuko's observations, some of it seemed mood related, but most of the time it attacked when she was least expecting it. Zuko felt bad for the young waterbender and was determined to figure out how to relieve her somehow. He knew the first step would be to teach her how to monitor and control her chi, but she'd have to cooperate first. Katara had been hardly civil to him recently.

"I'm not sure." He sighed quietly, knowing she was exhausted. In the future, given that this baby was a healthy and viable firebending heir, he would not ask her to have any more children. It wasn't that he necessarily did not want a large family eventually – not now obviously – it was that sibling rivalry was high in his own family. In addition, this pregnancy was obviously becoming very hard on Katara and she was only almost four weeks along. If she lasted the entire pregnancy, Zuko would perform a ritual of thanksgiving to the great dragon spirit.

Katara's temperature spiked again, causing Zuko to groan, "Wake up, Katara. Let's get you into the water." She grumbled, but stretched slightly.

"Aren't you supposed to teach me how to control my own temperature?" Katara slurred as she stood up and began to stumble toward the swallow pool they were sleeping next to for this purpose.

"Yes, well, I can hardly do that when you aren't speaking to me, Katara. You called a truce right before bed, remember?" Zuko laughed. Katara, who had begun to feel nauseous today, just glared at her husband while clutching her stomach.

"That's true, I suppose." She mumbled lightly. In spite of her innocent spying over the past four days, Katara had been purposely ignoring Zuko since their conversation on Toph's assumption. She only called a truce right before she went to bed every night. Zuko allowed it because secretly he liked holding her in her sleep. It gave him hope that someday he could hold her when she wasn't desperate too.

"Help me." She moaned as she dropped to her knees into the pool.

"What's wrong with you?" Zuko asked, mystified as he dropped to his knees next to her.

"I'm pregnant!" Katara screamed, frustrated, practically falling backwards in the water. "I'm married to the prince of the enemy of my nation, with whom I lost my honor. Now, I am living a lie. That's what's wrong with me."

Zuko sighed, equally as frustrated. "You are not the only one who is having trouble adjusting, Katara."

"Yeah, says the reason I am in this mess." She sighed. Zuko stared at her, not comprehending what she was saying.

"Well, I didn't have to fix this mess either, peasant. Of course, if I hadn't, you'd have been banished from your tribe and probably frozen and dead in the middle of the tundra." Zuko replied, his tone getting louder and louder with each syllable. Steam was rising off his fists and up his arms.

"Seriously, Zuko? Do you see a tundra around here? As you so kindly pointed out, we are very near the Fire Nation. Or did they not teach you geography in your private lessons." Katara seethed.

"At least I was educated." Zuko laughed, ironically. He had learned a few days before that the water tribe children did not know how to read well. He was trying very hard to remain calm.

"You are so infuriating."

"I'm infuriating? Seriously, Katara? You are hot and cold with me. I never know if you are going to be pleasant or screaming at me. I thought you would at least be thankful to me for choosing to restore your honor. I didn't have to marry you." Zuko grabbed her by her slender wrists and pulled her close enough to force her to look at him.

She said nothing, staring at Zuko as her continued instead with tears filling her eyes. "All I have done is try to help you adjust to your new life. Whether you like it or not, you are my wife. You are carrying my heir, the heir to the Fire Nation throne. That's an amazing step up from being a water tribe peasant." His voice got quieter as he spoke, but it did not soften.

"I am not a peasant." Katara retorted, dumbly as she pulled her arms away from Zuko.

"Oh, that's right. You are the daughter of a chieftain. Tell me, do the other nations recognize your father as royalty?" Zuko sneered before adding, "I suppose that's true now though, you aren't a peasant. You are princess consort to the crown prince of the Fire Nation."

"I'm more than that. I am the descendent of La, in the same way as the Northern Tribe royal family is a descendent of Tui and you are a descendent of Agni." Tears flowed down Katara's face as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

"Seriously? Dear Agni, I know what's wrong with you!" Zuko jumped up and started muttering before practically shouting, "Why didn't I think of it before! It makes sense, perfect sense."

"What am I not getting?" Katara sat, dumbfounded by Zuko's shift in attitude.

"Well, your education is hardly adequate, so I am not surprised I have to answer that question." Zuko said haughtily.

"Excuse me, your highness, but did you even finish your studies?" Katara smiled evilly, "Or were you ran out of your country too soon."

"That's why my uncle traveled with me." Zuko muttered. Then, suddenly, Zuko kneeled in the water and took Katara's hands, "I believe there is a battle of elements happening within you. Haven't you felt your chi?"

"Obviously there is a battle of elements within me. Hot and cold, without consent, remember?" Katara let her arms drop in desperation.

"Well, I think I know why, what would you say if I told you I think you are having twins?" Zuko said, softly.

"What, how would you know that? The baby's heart hasn't even started beating yet. I mean it should soon, but how do you know?" Katara eyed her husband's gentle grip on her hands before trailing her gaze toward his face.

"Well, I assumed that when you became pregnant, you would have a fire bender because the essence of Agni is stronger than that of simple water tribe. If you are truly of the line of La, however, your essence would be almost as strong, if not just as strong, as that of Agni. No child can be both a water bender and a fire bender. You must be pregnant with twins, Katara. A water bender and a fire bender."

"That's insane, Zuko." She replied, wearily as she stood up to go back to bed. She bended herself dry and turned to do the same for him.

"We'll see in a few days then, won't we?" Zuko muttered, following her as they walked toward their combined sleeping mats. Katara shrugged, not bothering to give him the satisfaction of a reply.

"Tell me something, Katara?" Zuko ventured, half-awake once they settled down onto the mat comfortably. She snuggled into his side. Her temperature was normal, but Zuko wrapped his arms around her anyways.

"Huh?" She was already almost asleep when she answered.

"Do you ever think you will love me?" He asked, softly. He wasn't expecting an answer. He knew she was just as tired as he was if not worse off. He regretted insulting her and allowing himself to fight with her. He knew that constantly fighting with her was not helping in his quest to fight for her heart.

"Uh huh." Was her soft reply as her breathing evened out. She was asleep.

* * *

"Good morning, sleepy head." Katara smiled, looking down at Zuko who still had his arms curled around her.

"Good morning." He replied with a yawn, not quite opening his eyes. "How come you are awake before me?"

"It is raining, so the clouds are covering the sun. I want to share something with you." She smiled, taking his hands and pressing them to her lower stomach. Zuko shivered as his hands touched the bare skin of the flat plain of her stomach while inhaling her scent as inconspicuously as possible.

"I can feel the chi flow." He breathed lightly, amazed at the power and energy flowing under his fingertips. It wasn't the first time he'd felt her chi flow, but now he was being allowed to experience it. Her hands pressed down on his firmly and all Zuko wanted to do was kiss her and touch her. Something told him not to do that though because she was sharing something very intimate with him.

"I think you're right about two babies. We won't know for a few more days when their hearts start beating, but feel!" Katara had been up for several hours, since before dawn, trying to track the chi flow. She had originally internally cursed herself for ignoring Zuko when he was going to teach her how, but hearing his peaceful breathing, she began to lengthen her own breath and closed her eyes to feel the energy flow.

"You realize it is much harder to feel someone else's chi, right?" It was true; monitoring someone else's chi was a difficult task. One that Zuko was quite proficient at in regards to Katara, but that didn't change the facts.

"You've felt my chi before." She shrugged, pressing her hands down even harder. He grinned at her excitement before pulling her closer while sitting up so she was cradled on his lap. Then, he put his hands back on her lower stomach and closed his eyes.

After several moments of quiet contemplation with Zuko focusing on the chi flow of his child, or children, and Katara carefully keeping her breathing even, Zuko gasped. "My gods! You're right! Katara, I can feel two distinct chi flows in addition to your much stronger one." Not thinking, Zuko bend down and laid two sweet kisses to her lower stomach between her pelvic bones.

Katara let out a soft gasp and reached down to run her hands through his soft hair. "We're going to be parents." Katara smiled as Zuko turned his head to kiss her hand.

Zuko stared into her eyes, replacing his hands where he had laid his soft kiss to feel the growing power beneath them. "Yes, we are." Zuko breathed before clearing his voice and adding, "Did you ever think, when we sat under Ba Sing Se, that anything would come from it?"

Katara laughed softly. "No, Zuko. Frankly I was hoping to never see you again after that."

"Really? Because I was hoping I would see you again." Zuko mused quietly, deciding that now was the perfect time to learn some about Katara. "May I ask you another question?"

"Who am I to deny the crown prince of the Fire Nation?" Katara quipped. Zuko laughed softly while pull into a sitting position and embracing her in a friendly hug.

"You've denied me plenty of times before." He whispered lightly into her ear, causing her to shiver. She leaned into him and breathed deeply. For a moment, both of them thought they were going to kiss, but neither moved to do so. They were lost in each other's embrace, unsure of what to do next.

"I think the others probably want breakfast." She started to pull away from him and stood up.

He was not about to allow that though, grabbing her by her wrist to pull her down, "Nope, you are staying here. I need to talk to you."

"What if Sokka comes to find me because I haven't made breakfast?" Katara said, very seriously. She even looked afraid of what would happen if Sokka walked in on them. They weren't doing anything wrong. They were just talking. Sokka could walk in on then for all Zuko cared. He had asked for a steep favor and Zuko needed to clear it with his wife. First though, he had his own agenda to take care of.

"What of it? We're married so we should be able to talk." Zuko frowned before finally asking the question that had been bothering him since the day after they had made love. "How old are you, Katara?"

Katara, who was now sitting next to him, tensed as she pulled her knees to her chest, "Too young."

"We're both too young from what the fates have dealt us. How old?" Zuko pressed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for comfort. He sincerely hoped her answer would be older than what his prediction was, but by her reaction he was beginning to doubt that.

"I turned fifteen with the Spring Equinox, too young to be married in my tribe." She sighed softly before turning to face her husband with tear filled eyes.

"I see. Well, your age does nothing to change the facts." His voice was cold and sterile as he realized just how young they both were. What made it worse was that fact that she would have just turned fourteen when he first saw her. She was so young, but he was young too. "Feel free to ask me any questions. I would like to ask another though." Zuko paused, waiting for her interrupt him.

"Now that you know my age, does that change your plans?" Katara asked softly, afraid he was going to send her away from him for lying – or withholding – her age from him. It was considered immoral, dishonorable, and punishable for a man to bed a woman who was not yet of age in both their Nations. In the Fire Nation, being of age meant being eighteen years old. In the Water Tribe, the age was younger. So, by all rights, not only had Zuko planted the seed of life within the garden of her womb causing dishonor on them both, but he willingly married a girl too young. Their honor was tarnished.

Zuko simply stared at her, not sure what she meant. "I know my age will bring you great dishonor and could be a problem for when you become Fire Lord." She started to clarify.

Zuko shook his head. The only honor he cared about at the moment was the favor of the Most High Agni. Agni's young, human wife had been Katara's age when he overtook her the first time. Besides, what was done was done.

"They would do well not to ask trivial things such as the age of my wife." Zuko snapped.

He knew what she was implying and it angered him. Only minutes before they were both marveling at becoming parents and now she was fearful that he would banish her? To banish her would be to condemn her to death. He wouldn't banish her for any reason, ever. Even if she tried to kill him or usurp the Fire throne from him, he would not banish her. Imprison her inside her suite, maybe, but he would not cause her dishonor or worse.

"But, they will." Katara started to protest, trying to make him understand her serious concern. She knew that evening having a water tribe peasant as his wife would cause contentions when he assumed the Fire throne, but what if they found out how old she was? Surely such great dishonor would nullify his claim for the throne. She was sure that it would be worse than siring a bastard child with a common harlot.

"I will not be the cause of your demise, Katara." Zuko said these words very slowly. Already considering her concerns, Zuko had a plan to make sure that no one asked about Katara's age or her background once he assumed the throne. He would cloud her in mystery to avoid the Fire sages and Nation officials to learn of their dishonor.

He wasn't currently in the best favors with his nation, but he knew the punishments for what she was implying. If a wife was put away within one year of marriage, she was ruined for all other men. She could not remarry because it was obvious that she was not favored by the great dragon. If she were put away in under six months, she was imprisoned for crimes against her husband if she was accused. If she was put away in under a month, it was assumed that she had committed adultery and unless the husband denied the claim, the woman had to face trial. If she was found guilty, she would be sentenced to death.

Katara said nothing, choosing instead to change the topic, "Will I ever be allowed to visit my home?"

"Your home is with me." Zuko stated softly, but firmly.

"Yes, yes. I meant the South Pole." Katara waved her hand dismissively at his statement.

"I knew what you meant. We shall see when the time comes." Zuko amended. Secretly, unless her father reacted differently than Sokka had, Zuko was not planning on ever going to the South Pole.

"I think you should let me visit home." Katara started lightly.

"Good thing that I am your master now. You do what I tell you." Zuko replied, assertively.

"I am not your slave."

"No, but you are my wife and I have to protect you. If it is not safe for you to go to the South Pole, you won't. As La and Tui control the tides, my word is your law." Zuko stated firmly. She had stood up again and her color was pinker than usual. Her eyes flashed in anger as she stared at him, daring him to say more.

As if to infuriate her all the more, she suddenly felt nauseous. Her skin turned pale green and she dropped to her knees while clutching her stomach. She dry retched and began to cry.

Seeing the state of his wife, Zuko to gather her heaving body into his arms and cradled her sweetly. She nestled her head into his chest and wept, allowing him to comfort her. He laid them both down on the soft mat and pulled her close to himself, massaging her stomach with warm hands while praying to Agni above that she would not actually become sick.

"Katara?" He ventured after several seconds of her light moaning.

"I'm not talking to you." She grumbled, taking his hand and pressing it into a firmer massage.

"Fine, then. All you have to do is listen." He paused, but she made no move. "Your brother wants me to go on a suicide mission of sorts with him. It is a gamble, but he wants me to take him to a Fire Nation prison called the Boiling Rock in order to rescue some persons of value to the Avatar's cause. We'd be gone for several days, if we made it back at all." He paused again, feeling her soft nod against his chest. "I don't think I should leave you with your body temperature still soaring out of control. What do you think?"

"I'll be fine. You should go. Sokka will ask fewer questions and maybe you'll gain his respect." She mused quietly.

"We are going to have to tell the others about the baby soon enough anyways, Katara." Zuko pointed out.

"Oh, believe me, I know."


	10. IX

_So…I am still living. I do not owe Avatar, although I wish I did. Also, I did not forget about this fanfic per se. Life has just been too crazy. __ I've been taking some super crazy classes. (Fun, but insanely busy). This is fluffy. Updated: 2/26/13  
_

* * *

"Katara! I'm starving!" Whined the voice of her brother. The sound of him carried over to where Katara laid sleeping with Zuko. The others, less whiny and more civilized, also wondered where their breakfast was. They were equally concerned, however, in the lack of Katara's presence. They had grown used, these past two and a half weeks, to Katara being the first awake. Now, she was missing from the main camp.

Although he did not voice it, Aang was worried that Zuko had spirited Katara away again. Zuko seemed to do that periodically without obvious cause. The poor boy didn't understand the union between Zuko and Katara and secretly hoped Zuko would realize his mistake and put Katara away. Toph was less concerned with Zuko than she was with the fact that something strange had been going on with Katara recently. She wandered in the general direction of the firebender and the watergirl, Sokka and Aang close behind. Really, Toph just wanted to relieve the fears she could sense about Katara's well being.

The whining woke Zuko from his own much needed slumbers. "Shut up, you idiot, your sister has taken ill. She was awake all night. Let her sleep." Zuko spoke lethally, but quietly so not to disturbed his still sleeping wife cradled against his chest. This morning, they had discovered the joy of their parenthood but now the poor girl was exhausted. It was only about midmorning. There was a comfortable overcast which hid the sun enough for both Zuko and Katara to rest.

"Katara's sick?" Sokka replied, sounding amazed. It was as if the entire prospect was foreign to him.

"Yes, and I was up with her. I would appreciate it if you could feed yourself."Zuko narrowed his eyes at the group.

Sokka whined some more in reply before the blind girl and the Avatar told him that they could go into the neighboring village to eat. That suited Zuko just fine and, although he felt slight hunger pangs, he was perfectly content to monitor his wife's temperatures. He figured out how to do so without forcing her into the cool pool and then warming her back up. The method had dawned on him suddenly as he massaged her nearly flat stomach to avoid her getting sick. He had discovered how to control the chi flow in another person using his bending. He figured that this was pretty closely related to how Katara could heal. Instead of heating and cooling her body from her skin inward, he could control her chi so that her entire body stayed a constant temperature.

Thinking of earlier this morning and trying to lull himself back to sleep, Zuko began to rub her stomach absentmindedly. He was only partially aware that he was doing it. Her stomach was still pretty flat, like the day he had planted his seed within her; however, he could tell that it was going to begin to swell soon around her pelvic bones and low between her hips. He could feel the chi of the babies growing stronger, meaning they would be growing larger by the day. Then, they would have to admit the pregnancy to the others. Eventually, they would notice her swollen belly. Also, pretty soon Zuko would be forced to buy Katara new clothes, which might tip them off. He groaned lightly realizing this, thinking about what her brother was going to do when he found out.

Zuko, out of worry resulting from their fight this morning, began contemplating his misfortune. It was extensive and he realized that most of it was caused by his own mistakes. Because of one stupid drunken night, he would never gain his father's love. His father had always said that he was lucky to have been born, with recent events his father's cruel words resonated. He would never be given the Fire Throne. He would have to take it, usurp it from his own sire. Yet, he could not imagine the horror the Fire Nation and the world would face if Azula gained the power of the Fire Throne. No, for the sake of his people, he would have to commit high treason.

Frustrated and angry, his mind began to beg Agni as to why he had made so many mistakes. Then, a soft moan escaped from the girl sleeping in his arms. The sound caused him to stop rubbing her stomach, as he stared at the pool of water which they slept near. For an instant, he turned all of his anger – at Agni, at his father, at his mother and sister, at himself – toward the girl. If she had only been sleeping that night. If she had not been in the river. If her skin had not glimmered exotically from the reflection of the moon on the water. If she had been clothed. Maybe, just maybe, Zuko would have been able to resist temptation and capture the Avatar. The honor of the love of a father would have been easily restored.

The girl snuggled closer into Zuko's side, causing him to look down at her peaceful mocha colored face and, although he did not love her, he realized that he cared about the treasure he held. In an instant his anger went away. Then, amazingly, he realized that he cared about her. Katara. The blue eyed girl from the South Pole. Yes, she carried his heirs, but he cared about her. The babies, they were already important to him, but so was she.

"Agni, help me." Zuko groaned lightly, dipping his head so that his face was buried in her hair. He fell asleep with his wife, comforted with the knowledge that he cared about her – unselfishly.

* * *

"I slept so long. I bet the others are worried." Katara fretted, looking up at the noontime sky.

The storm clouds still covered most of the sky, but the sun could be seen at its highest point. She began to wiggle from Zuko's grasp. He grabbed onto her clothes, pulling at them to force her closer into his grasp. He wasn't willing to allow his wife her leave yet. He heard her grunt in frustration at this, muttering to herself. Zuko had slept fretfully, so he was hoping to sleep longer. He couldn't justify it if Katara was awake, however, because then he would just be lazy.

"Let them worry." Zuko said, teasingly. Katara made a face before pulling herself free and sitting up.

Her clothing was rumpled and loose, but Katara didn't seem to even notice this. Perhaps, this was due to the warmth of her skin from sharing her bed with a fire bender. It caused her to look a bit flushed, adding an attractive color to her cheeks – one that had been void only this morning. Zuko noted her improved appearance as he pulled himself to a seated position.

Immediately upon sitting up, her hands touched her face and her hair. Groaning as she touched her locks which resembled an animal's nest, Katara started righting herself by fixing her hair. Raising her arms above and behind her head only caused her clothing to loosen, the belt which held her tunic shut was almost completely undone. Her shirt began to open a bit more than slightly.

Trying to be polite, Zuko cleared his throat, intending to motion to her shirt. She turned to look at him, but when she did blush absorbed her features and she saw no motion his hand attempted to make. She was too engrossed in the fact that her husband wasn't wearing a shirt. Her eyes seemed to gloss over as she tentatively reached toward him, gently and hesitant.

Zuko on the other hand, noticed quite well that Katara was not decent. At the angle which he was sitting, her loose top revealed to him her naked breast. He knew he should tell her, but instead – like she ogled at him, he returned the favor. This was really the first time since their drunken moon crazed encounter that he had seen her nude form outside of an emergency. Yet, she had too many clothes on still for his teenage hormones.

Mirroring her, he reached toward her with more confidence. Pulling her close to his embrace, he dipped down his head to kiss her. One hand he wrapped around her back to pull her closer, the other he tangled into her hair to guide her face. Her pregnancy hormones made her more daring and she snaked her arms around his neck, still oblivious to the state of her clothing. She pressed her body as close as she could manage against Zuko.

Deciding to take full advantage of the situation while he had it, Zuko pulled his wife onto his lap, straddling her legs on either side of his own. In the process, he finished opening her tunic shirt with one fluid motion and dipped his hand into it, snaking his arm around her bare back to pull her flush against himself. She moaned lightly as their heated skin made contact.

Lost in a rage of a combination of teenage and pregnancy hormones, Katara pulled herself ever closer while opening her mouth and allowing Zuko's smoldering breath to intoxicate her. As Katara opened her mouth, Zuko reached for one of her firm breasts with the intention of pleasuring both her and himself with its tender sensitivity. When he touched it, however, suddenly a spark in his mind caused him to stiffen and stop.

Pushing his wife away from himself, Zuko righted her garments. He got up quickly, walking toward the cold lake. Before entering the water, he turned to see a very flushed, very confused looking girl staring back at him.

* * *

"That wasn't fair." Katara whispered to her husband when he came to help her make dinner. It was the first time they had the semblance of being alone since this morning and Zuko knew exactly what Katara was referring to. He wasn't sure why he withdrew from a chance to be intimate with his beautiful, lithe wife. He had been telling himself all day that lustful desires were not a good reason to share one flesh and that Agni and the Moon Spirits would only bless the union if it was based in love, not carnal desire.

"I will not be intimate with you until we are truly in love." Zuko replied calmly and quietly, hoping that no one could hear them. Sokka was studying the map for the best routes to the Boiling Rock while the Avatar was taking Earth Bending lessons from the Blind girl.

"You should've thought of that before you decided to impregnate me, Zuko." Katara stated flatly as she began boiling the water.

"I am not discussing that with you again, wife. You would do well to stop bringing it up." His voice was authoritative as he began to slice the vegetables for dinner.

Katara scoffed lightly showing her displeasure at being ordered around before turning to look at him, suddenly experiencing a change of heart, "Do you think you'll ever love me?" Her voice was small and unsure. It sounded as if she doubted that as a possibility. He glanced at her, seeing the tears in her eyes. He had somehow managed to make her cry. He thought she would like that he wanted to love her before he made love to her.

"I think so, Katara. I care about you very much. Love will follow." He said lightly, smiling softly. He knew that love wasn't that important in either of their cultures, yet somehow it seemed to be an important a prerequisite to him – to Agni – for intimate relations with her. Oh how he would have experienced euphoria unlike any other to have joined their flesh earlier, but it wasn't time.

"I care about you, too. I'm sorry I am stubborn." She blushed lightly, embarrassed to apologize to him. He noted the blush, realizing admitting a fault was hard for the tribal girl, especially in that, in a way, she was yielding her will to his own.

"Don't worry about it, Katara. I offended you. We both have to adjust to our new roles." His voice was tenderly caressing. But like with all good things, this conversation came to a quick end as Sokka walked up.

"Hey, Zuko, do you think tomorrow is a good time to go to the prison? I want to try to go while we are still in a safe area. You know, the Avatar needs warriors to protect him." Sokka said, effectively ruining the bonding which was beginning between Katara and Zuko. Katara turned quickly, suddenly very interested in the rice.

"I fear to leave my wife in the state she is in. If it will make you accept me, then I will go." Zuko stated, causing Katara to shoot a glare at him.

"It is the only way." Sokka said solemnly, then he added, "We leave at dawn." Sokka retreated about half way before stopping and turning to look at the married couple, "What do you mean, 'state she is in'?" He quoted Zuko with a mocking voice.

"I told you she was ill. " Zuko quipped in reply, quietly. He followed his wife's lead, becoming engrossed in his chosen chore.

"Katara looks fine now." Sokka said, challengingly while emphasizing her name. He narrowed his eyes glancing between his sister and the jerkbender who had married her without warning.

"I didn't specify how she was ill, Sokka." Zuko said, slightly annoyed at the boy who was standing, confused, in front of them. Katara began to look very uncomfortable, but she kept cooking.

Sokka glared for another minute before turning to leave. He wasn't really paying attention and tripped on a rock. The sound of him falling caused Zuko to look up. He just stared, unbelieving, that the boy he was afraid to tell about his children seemed unable to walk without falling. Zuko was suddenly ashamed for being secretive.

"Curses on you and your children!" Sokka shouted angrily at the rock which he tripped over.

Zuko stifled a laugh, turning and looking incredulously at Katara who just shrugged, "I'm just his sister." She said meekly, narrowing her eyes at her brother. She took the vegetables from Zuko, adding them to the rice, and asked him to roast the meat.

Wanting to show off, he did so with his fire bending while commenting, to Katara, "Last time I checked, rocks didn't have children. I could be mistaken. What do you think, princess?"

Playing along, Katara smiled, "Toph would know, let's ask her."

Suddenly, not appreciating the mocking, Sokka turned and shouted, "Fine, curses on you and your children!"

"You would curse your sister's children?" Zuko asked, taken back at the seriousness of his voice.

"Damnnit! Curses on you and your ancestors then!" Sokka tried again, still angry but unwilling to curse his sister's progeny.

"So, you want to curse your sister's chosen ancestors and those of her children. I think it would be best if you didn't curse me, boy." Zuko said, darkly.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a rock flew and hit Sokka's side. He yelped in pain only to be returned by maniac laughter from the blind girl near the river. "Be careful who you mess with." She giggled out. "Because rocks will strike back."

Sokka wasn't paying attention to Toph and her antics though. Something about the way Zuko had defended his children and ancestors clicked in his mind. Katara had been moody, isolative, and feeling ill recently. She had been getting up at dawn and barely sleeping. Very calmly, he asked the most obvious question, "What have you done with my sister?"

"I knew it!" Toph suddenly danced around victoriously. Aang came near Toph, looking at her like she had lost her grip on reality. He was very confused as to what had been going on.

At the same instant as Toph's wild outburst, Katara gasped in wonder, pulling Zuko's free hand to her stomach. The twin hearts began to beat and the essence of the children became clear. A small, vulnerable flame had ignited in her womb.

"You spilt your seed in my sister? You sick bastard! She's a child!" Sokka yelled, running toward Zuko in anger. Zuko didn't look up. He was too engrossed in trying to feel his children's heart beats, although he could not. Katara and Toph's obvious excitement told him it was an amazing experience.

"She is also my wife. She is not that much younger than I." Zuko replied softly, absentmindedly. The reply instantly stopped Sokka in his tracks. His sister was married. To a fire bender. She was going to have a children with said jerkbender. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She wasn't woman either. She was just Katara.

"I cannot believe my prediction was right. Can you feel the colder essence of the moon child? The flame of the sun child?" He looked up at Katara, meeting her eyes. She smiled lightly at him as he stated kindly, "You are going to make a good and worthy mother, my princess."

"Thank you." She replied softly, before realizing that dinner was done. "Let's just eat." She suggested softly.


	11. X

_I still do not own the Avatar…_

Zuko and Sokka were flying in peaceful companionship on the way back from the Boiling Rock with a very tired Suki snuggled into Sokka's side. She was sleeping peacefully, exhausted from the great escape. After being at the Boiling Rock for four days, a narrow escape involving Azula and some unlikely allies, they were relieved to be returning to the Air Temple. Sokka was hoping that his father would have been imprisoned at the Boiling Rock, but they were unable to find him. Just when they were about to give up all hope, they found Suki.

"Zuko?" Sokka started, sounding unsure about what his purpose in addressing the other youth would be. Zuko looked up from his meditation and nodded, waiting for Sokka to continue. He and the other boy had bonded over the past few days, but he was still apprehensive of what Sokka could be thinking.

"Why did you marry my sister?" Sokka suddenly asked, feeling brave. He stared at the Fire Prince, imploring for an answer. Zuko took two very deep, debating breaths. They were so slow that Sokka thought that Zuko was going to refuse to answer.

"That is really none of your concern. It is between your sister and myself. Can't you just accept our union and the life I will give her?" Zuko asked meekly, trying to deflect the question. He was not sure how honest he should be with Sokka. He knew that the tribal boy would be less than pleased when and if he ever learned the truth.

"No, that is not good enough; especially when the life you give her is a life of uncertainty and treason." Sokka stated as sternly as he could managed. This caused Zuko to sigh angrily.

"If that is the case, how is that life any different from the life you are giving her?" Zuko said, pointing to Suki. Suki was beginning to stir, but Zuko was relatively sure she would fall right back to sleep. The poor girl had been tortured for days, barely resembling the young healthy girl he had fought before.

"It is different. If we don't win this war, you will be a banished and treasonous prince of the Fire Nation. No one will accept you. I will just be a boy, anonymous. No one will try to turn me into the Fire Lord for a price." Sokka's words were cold and heartless. Zuko nodded, recognizing the truth in his words. It was a gamble he was taking with the lives of his wife and children. It was one thing to be hunted alone, but to bring their fate in the mist of his own troubles was irresponsible.

"I have been attracted to your sister since the day I met her. It just felt right. There was no thought involved on either side. I think I can speak for both Katara and myself when I say that this was not planned and we were both in denial of it at first." Zuko felt that that admittance was enough to cover the moonlight encounter and even the marriage.

"You have condemned my sister to a life of shame." Sokka spat at Zuko, suddenly all fraternal respect they had for each other was gone from his voice.

"What is done, is done. What would you have me do?" Zuko asked, desperately. His hands falling open at his sides. He appeared weak, tired, and vulnerable.

"I don't know. Why did you do it in the first place?" Sokka tried again, as if knowing the reasons would change the facts. Zuko stared at the boy, shaking his head slowly.

"I don't know." He answered the question softly, turning away from Sokka and closing his eyes to meditate. Appa was flying quickly and they would be back by midday. Zuko dreaded the remaining few hours of the journey and he was anxious to see the state of his wife. He did not want to leave her. After all, just days before Sokka forced him to go on this expedition; Katara was up all night fighting between cold and hot.

He began musing on their developing relationship. She most certainly was not the helpless little girl he had originally thought she was. She was not the same desperate girl that he had captured from the pirates. She was not the same angry girl he had fought in the North Pole. She had developed into a fascinatingly complex woman with a generous heart and a sharp mind. If she had been educated properly, Zuko was sure she would be brilliant. She would make a worthy consort to the Fire Lord when the time came.

"Do you miss her?" A softer, more feminine voice rang out. Zuko opened his eyes to see Suki's grey blue eyes staring at him. Sokka was staring down at the girl snuggled into his side with disbelief.

"Katara?" Zuko asked dumbly. Suki nodded her head, to which Zuko smiled softly. "Yes, I do miss her. I was just thinking about her." Subconsciously, his eyes grew softer and his body visibly relaxed.

"How much of that conversation did you hear? What do you know?" Sokka asked, looking slightly sick. It was as if he was afraid of her opinion. She looked up at him with a grin.

"I heard all of it. I know he loves her." Her grin was wicked, but not unkind. Sokka rolled his eyes before giving up. "What were you thinking about?"

"A lot of things, actually. When we first met. Goals. I don't know, stuff." Zuko shrugged. He was thinking about her and all that encompassed.

"You're married?" Suki pressed, curious.

"In a Traditional Earth Kingdom Ceremony." Zuko nodded, smirking at Suki's surprised face. Before she could ask any further questions he continued, "It was custom, before the war, for the marriage of the Fire Lord to his lady to be blessed by each of the Nations. I plan to fulfill that."

"Really? How?" Suki's voice was beginning to sound hoarse, but her eyes twinkled with genuine curiosity. Although not obviously showing it, Zuko could tell that Sokka was equally as interested in what Zuko had to say.

"When I defeat my sire, I will have the fire sages perform the marriage rituals for the Fire Nation. I am hoping the Avatar can remember or find the Air Rituals. As for Water, at the moment I am just hoping they don't kill me." Zuko smirked before adding, "Because apparently, my wife is a princess in more than one way."

Suki nodded, snuggling deeper into Sokka's side while yawning. She answered Zuko softly, "They will learn to accept the union. Katara should be free to make her own choices as I am free to make mine."

"Thank you, Suki. I think you should try to sleep now." Zuko said gently. She nodded again, closing her eyes.

"She's right, you know." Zuko ventured when he was sure that Suki was asleep. Sokka tensed up immediately, before taking a deep breath and calming before Zuko's eyes.

"Yes, I know." Sokka's voice had a strange quality to it.

They sat in relative silence for the remainder of the flight. Around midday, as Zuko predicted, Appa began to slowly descend from the clouds. Zuko felt his anticipation build as he saw the peak of the temple and his friends below. The young avatar spotted the incoming party and began to call out to Katara and the earthbender. Toph simply nodded, continuing to practice forms, but Katara threw down her things and started to walk toward where she thought Appa would land.

Zuko noted that Katara was wearing one of his black tunics tied with a crimson sash. He wondered if it was because she missed him or if she had just neglected to do her laundry. He was hoping for the first, but figured it was probably from the latter. Her hair was flowing loosely in the wind and he noted that she was radiating with a joyful smile as she began to run toward the landing bison. Her color was a beautiful mocha which caramelized in the midday sun.

As soon as Appa landed, Zuko slipped off the bison and prepared to catch his wife's embrace. It didn't come. She had been running straight for him, but in the instant he thought he would be catching her in his arms, Zuko heard the squeals of his wife mixed with those of the Kyoshi Warrior.

"Suki! It is so great to see you!" Katara giggled, pulling her brother into the embrace between herself and the other girl.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you, Katara! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Sokka and Zuko at the prison. I thought all hope was lost until they told me we were going to escape." Suki spoke so quickly that it took Katara a moment to comprehend what she had said.

She looked up at her brother. "You found Suki, but not dad?" Her question was really more of a statement. Sokka nodded.

"It's okay, sis. We'll find dad." Sokka said, hugging his sister again. Zuko stood awkwardly to the side as the Avatar joined in the reunion. There were a few more pleasantries and impulsive hugs until Katara seemed to realize that she had not yet greeted Zuko. She turned toward him, flushed with embarrassment and wide eyed.

Meekly she fell before Zuko on her knees and bowed deeply, in the traditional Fire Nation way. He stared at her in disbelief, dropping to his knees also to pull up her chin. "Why do you bow to me?" His voice was soft.

"Honorable husband, I neglected to greet you. Forgive my insolence." She sounded sincere, but Zuko wanted to know where the formality came from. He shook his head lightly, pulling her up to her feet gently by the hand.

He noticed that the little group had stopped talking and were unashamedly staring at the couple. Wanting privacy, he gripped her hand slightly tighter and smiled down at her, "Come, princess, we have much to discuss."

He led her away a little ways before turning and pulling her into a tight embrace. "I missed you." They were out of the sight of the other group, in an alcove of trees. They were relatively protected from spying eyes on all sides.

"You were gone so long. I was afraid you might never come back." Katara sounded like she was crying and Zuko could feel some dampness seeping through his shirt. She pulled tighter, trying to get closer to him.

In her enthusiasm, she lost balance. She began to fall, pulling Zuko with her. Not wanting to hurt her, he quickly maneuvered himself so that he landed on his back with her on top of him.

"I take it that you missed me as well." He chuckled as she nodded slightly. He sat up, righting himself and her. He smiled down at her before his face became confused, "Why did you bow to me?"

"Because it is the traditional way to greet your husband in the Fire Nation." She shrugged before adding, "I want to try to be a good wife. I have accepted my fate."

"I will not require any bowing nonsense from you. Not unless I am Fire Lord and the situation calls for it." He amended quickly realizing that there may be times that she would have to show humility. He had thought of how to be a good husband to her the entire expedition. He had decided that he didn't want frustrations and harsh words to be the only elements of their relationship. He wondered if her thoughts were the same.

"Good, because it was weird to do." Katara made a face. "Why were you gone so long?" Katara asked softly, her eyes staring up at him with concern. They sat opposite of each other, side by side. Their hands were intertwined and their foreheads just breaths away.

Zuko didn't answer. Instead he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and smiled. "You're a beautiful sight, my water nymph." She blushed, inhaling his breath as he leaned closer. "May I kiss you?" He asked, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Yes." She breathed before lightly pressing her lips to his in a sweet and chaste kiss. He seemed satisfied with just the slight interaction and he sighed happily. He pulled Katara against his side, turning her around easily so that her head was against his chest.

"When we got to the prison, they were on lock down. My sister was there to inspect the facility. Her two friends, Ty Lee and Mai, were also there. We had to stay undercover. We pretended to be guards." Zuko started his story, recalling how difficult it was to lay low when Ty Lee was flirting with all of the guards at every chance she got. He knew that if he spoke to her, she would recognize him immediately. Tactfully, he decided to leave that point out.

"We searched for your father, but never found him. In the end, we barely rescued the warrior girl from being executed. She was being tortured and my sister wanted to kill her as an example. I guess she's a pretty brave girl. She didn't give up any secrets to the Fire Nation." Katara shuddered in response. He hugged her reassuringly. "Our rescue attempt was originally foiled, but Mai and Ty Lee stopped my sister from capturing me or harming your brother and the girl. We barely escaped. I don't know what happened then."

There was a looming and uncomfortable silence between them as Katara took in the story. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and buried her face into the place where his neck and shoulder met. She laid a sweet kiss there. She mumbled something, but what Zuko didn't know. After several moments, Katara released her hold and settled back against his chest. Zuko made no move to say or do anything. He was hungry and tired, but at the moment he was perfectly contented to hold his lovely wife.

"We will have to thank them someday." Katara said, absentmindedly rubbing her hand on her now swollen belly. It was only slightly swollen, but there was definitely a distinct bump indicating her pregnancy.

Zuko put his hand on top of hers, rubbing his babies with her. "If they are still alive, I agree."

After a few moments he added, "I thought about you a lot while I was gone. I want to be a good husband to you. I think I might actually love you." The last part was so soft she barely heard it. She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes searched his for several moments before she smiled softly.

"I thought about you too." Her eyes filled with tears. "I think I might love you too." Her voice equally as soft. Neither of them moved, not sure what to do now.

Slowly, unsurely, Zuko dipped his head and pressed his lips firmly on hers. Katara opened her mouth in surprise, which Zuko took advantage of to deepen the kiss. He pulled her closer, hugging her frame to his before slowly releasing her lips from his.

"We should probably return. I have a feeling they'll want dinner tonight." He smirked.

"We need to go shopping in the near future." She sighed, remembering their dangerously low supplies.

"Yes, I know. Someone is going to need new clothes soon." He smiled, patting her stomach.

"I wonder why?" She smirked, sarcastically.

"Probably because you ate all of the supplies while I was gone." He smiled, almost laughing at the indignant sound she made. They stood up and walked back toward the camp hand-in-hand.


	12. XI

_I accidentally commented on my own fic (It was meant for a different fic…I didn't accidentally review my own because I forgot what I wrote). I guess I was desperate for reviews. Although I do write for the pleasure of writing, I think everyone should consider reviewing this fic more often…so I don't feel the need to review my own story. Also, if it is truly as good as some claim, consider telling others about it. _

_Although this thing practically writes itself, I think I figured out how I want the rest of the major events to play out...especially the scene where Zuko and Katara take out Azula. :-)_

_Anyways, I still do not own Avatar. _

* * *

Sharp nails raked across his face. "It is good to see you brother." A dark and sinister voice laced with cruel intentions sounded. He said nothing. He knew he would probably be brought to the Fire Lord today. He probably would not make it through the night in fact.

"Agni, protect me." He breathed lightly. Unfortunately, he breathed too loudly. She heard him.

"Praying to dreams, Zuzu? How childish of you." She mocked him, while placing one white and manicured finger against the pulse point on his neck. She cooed, "Will your imaginary dragon save you now? All I have to do to end your miserable life is blast lightening through your veins. I can do it right here, right now."

Zuko didn't doubt she had the capability to kill him. She had always been a cruel person. She took pleasure, even as a child, from inflicting pain. Their mother had banished her from the turtle duck pond for fear that Azula would kill the mother, leaving the babies to starve. Azula found praise in being as despicable and sinister in her thoughts and actions as her father and grandfather were before her. To call her a bitch would not even be enough to explain her. The word, used in that context, was too human to explain the deathless face which stared at him, taunting for an answer.

"I am sure the Fire Lord would look kindly on you taking the life of the crown prince when he would love to himself." Zuko was calm as he said it, knowing that his father would imprison him for life given the chance. Actually, Zuko knew that given the appropriate convincing from Azula, his father would most likely publicly execute him as an example. Although his treason was being kept in the family for fear of a revolt, both his father and his sister were well aware of where his allegiances were laid.

A dark chuckle escaped from Azula's thin throat. "Always so dramatic." Then, out of nowhere, she smiled. Her smile was real, radiating her excitement. It was as if she had been given her favorite toy.

Zuko had always though his sister was beautiful. She had raven dark hair and perfectly white porcelain skin. Her eyes were sharp, intelligent, and cunning. Her features were as if they were delicately sculpted by the greatest masters of the arts. Yet, even with her gleeful smile, she was also the ugliest person Zuko had ever laid eyes on. Her face, although perfect, hid an unimaginable amount of cruelty and malice. When she took over the throne, which was a certainty as Sokka and the warrior girl were most likely being drowned in the next room, not even the most faithful and loyal Fire Nation child would be safe. No, Agni had to intervene.

"You would do well, sister, not to mock the spirits." Zuko warned her quite seriously, staring defiantly into her eyes. His arms were tied loosely behind his back. He was sitting in a chair, the warden's chair. His sister had not known he was there until they had almost escaped. One stupid step, his helmet fell. His scar was revealed. Suddenly, all the plans of escape turned to dread. Suki and Sokka were brought to the torture chambers. Zuko was brought before the princess in the warden office.

"Why not? They are folly and superstition. They are used to scare children into behaving and an excuse when the farmers are too lazy to grow the crops they promised to." Azula tossed her head.

"That will be your downfall." Zuko said sadly. He called fire down from his chi and burned the rope. He took her by surprise at first, giving him a slight advantage as his fist of fire connected with her jaw. The office was not a large room. It was small and dark, giving Azula the upper hand. She ducked under the desk before lunging at him. They battled for several minutes and it seemed that in spite of the apparent upper hand, Zuko was still winning until his luck changed and Azula conjured up lightening. She was about to blast him with it.

"Agni, help me." Zuko repeated, preparing to attempt to redirect the unbridled power. It didn't come. Just as Azula was about to blast him, a sharp knife swooshed through the door and pinned her arm to the wall.

A flash of pink and Azula's bending was temporarily taken. "How dare you!" Her voice screamed sharply. She struggled against her weakened limbs, but to no avail. In these struggles, Zuko slipped from her grasp.

"You can't kill him." Mai said lightly, pulling her knife from the wall and releasing Azula's arm.

"I'm sorry, princess." Ty Lee bowed. This distraction was enough to let Zuko sulk away into the shadows to escape. This was not before, however, hearing their reasons for the treasonous act.

"Why did you do it?" Azula asked, absolutely mystified. Why had her two most trusted friends in the world sided with her brother? Then her voice grew lethal, "I could have you put to death for daring to touch me in such a way."

Mai sat on her uncle's chair, disinterested, "Always so dramatic." She quoted dryly, polishing the throwing knife. Then she continued, "Let him go. Once a traitor, always a traitor. He'll lead us right to the Avatar."

"Then you will be Fire Lord!" Ty Lee chirped, adding to Mai's delightful plan.

"Well, you didn't have to block my bending." Azula sulked, not even caring that her brother had slunk out of the room.

Zuko wasn't sure if the girls were simply justifying their actions or if they had really intended to hunt him and the Avatar. It didn't matter. He had to save Suki and Sokka. He went quickly down the dark, damp metal corridors toward the wing where the torture took place. As he rounded the corner, he was surprised to see Suki and Sokka busting out of one of the chambers. They ran toward their escape, but Ty Lee's cheerful word resonated in his mind, "Then you will be Fire Lord." An image as ghastly as a ghost sprang forward in his mind – Azula, drenched in the blood of innocents, claiming to be the empress of the entire world.

* * *

Zuko jolted awake, drenched in sweat. The memory of what had happened only a day earlier haunted his dreams. Disorientated, he looked around. Everything was quiet, but he couldn't shake off the dread which had filled his dreams. The young girl lying next to him placed her hand on his, calming him instantly.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was hoarse from disuse.

"I think we need to move to safety. My sister. The threat is real." He breathed, hanging his head in desperation.

"Aang said he didn't think that she would find us today. We'll leave in the morning." She said softly. It had been decided over dinner that the group would fly to Ember Island and live in the old imperial Fire Palace there. In the heart of the Fire Nation's vacation capital, no one would know who the Avatar or his companions were. They wouldn't question the presence of a misfit band of teenagers. Zuko had gotten angry at the others for not taking the threat seriously. Finally, he just stalked off. After about an hour, Katara found him and convinced him to give her a meditation lesson.

After several deep breaths from Zuko and soft yawns from Katara, the waterbender realized that Zuko wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep. "What happened to terrorize you so much, my prince?" She asked softly. She sat up, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I almost really did make you a widow, princess." He sighed, placing his head atop of hers gently. He reached for her hands, bring them together gently. "Spirits, I thought she really was going to kill me."

"Agni blessed you and kept you safe from her fire. It will be okay, Zuko. The great Spirits want your nation to have a good ruler." She smiled sweetly, taking their intertwined hands and examining his pale white skin against her darker hues. "Let's go back to sleep. Dream of me, for I only dreamt of you for days." Zuko nodded, lying down gently with his wife. He pulled her onto his chest and cuddled her against him. He stayed awake, holding her close, for a long while before the darkness overcame him as well.

"So, princess, do I have any clean clothes? Or do I need to the steal the shirt you are wearing?" Zuko asked a few minutes after dawn. He had slept in his undergarments the night before, too tired to search their things. She giggled, pointing to his knapsack. He asked, "Do you have any clean clothes?" He stood up and walked over to her bag. "Yes, you do. Why are you wearing mine?"

"My shirt is tight." She shrugged, but refused to look at him. He picked up one of her small green tunic shirts and visually compared it to her.

"They should still be comfortable on you. I agree you are going to need new clothes. Not immediately though." He looked at her puzzled. She grinned lightly, still refusing to answer. "Did you miss me?"

She blushed.

"You did! You missed me." He folded back her shirt and got himself dressed.

"Maybe I did. A crime that must be." Katara smiled impishly, before adding, "I missed fighting with you. No one would fight with me because I am fragile." Her attempts to deflect the implication of the statement were obvious as she proceeded to soak him in water. He just looked at her for several seconds, as if he had not yet comprehended what she had done. Then, impulsively, he lunged at her, catching her by the waist and pulling her to his chest as they both fell toward the ground.

"Fragile indeed, feisty water nymph." He grinned. Then his face grew serious, "What should we do while they are sleeping still? Do you want to try to find an open shop in the neighboring villages?"

She shook her head softly, "No one will be up at dawn." She kissed his neck before untangling herself from him and picking up her bag. "I think we should pack up camp. Your nightmares do not need to become reality. We can go shopping on the Island."

He silently got up and began to help her clean the campground, "Why did your brother think that your father would be in the prison anyways?"

She narrowed her eyes at Zuko before shrugging, "Why would I know what goes on in that boy's head?" Zuko returned her suspicious look. This caused her to huff annoyed and then answer, "We hadn't heard from him in a while. He thought the ship was captured or something. Why? Did you think his only purpose was to get you almost killed?"

Immediately, Zuko's temper flared. He was being serious and she was being…well…her. He answered her through his teeth, "How can I help if I do not know?" She shrugged. Her mood this morning was strange. Something must be on her mind, so he calmed and asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I am remembering my mom today. I don't know why." She admitted after a moment of debating. Zuko knew what she must be feeling. After all, he would get moody when he missed his own mother.

"I am sorry, Katara." He mumbled as he watched her begin making breakfast for the group. He began thinking of his own mother and her fate. Was she alive? Was she faring well? Was she dead? Did she die painlessly? What had happened?

He crept closer to her, hugging her from behind and whispered, "I miss my mother too. I bet yours would be proud of you."

Katara shuddered slightly, but said nothing. She just continued working on breakfast. Zuko was close behind her, watching the silver tears as they dipped down her face. She took a deep breath, wiped her tears, and spoke, "I wish she was here. No one ever taught me how to be a wife or mother. I don't know what I am doing." She turned, tears still following freely down her face.

Zuko gather her face gently in his hands, saying, "I don't know how to be a father either. Nor a husband. For all I know, my father killed my mother just a few years before permanently marring my face." His voice was soft and scared.

"Both our mothers were taken too soon." Katara's voice had a strange edge to it as she continued, "I used to blame you." Her voice choked and she didn't finish, but Zuko knew what she was referring to. She had said it under Ba Sing Se as well. It saddened Zuko, but he had irrationally blamed many people for his own mother's disappearance. He could accept her anger.

"I know you still blame me for your mother's death. I am the prince of the Nation that took her life and destroyed your home." His voice was full of emotion as he turned away, ashamed for his people. He was angry at the lies he had been told.

"I shouldn't blame you, it is irrational. You were still in the nursery when she was killed." Technically her words were true. Zuko was six years old when Katara was three. Her mother was killed the summer that Katara had celebrated her third birthday. Sokka, the littlest warrior, had just turned five when the Black Snow began to fall. Hakoda and Kya had been married for six years. Hakoda had recently inherited the title of Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe. Too soon, a life was lost.

"But you do." Zuko said, with pain clearly lacing his voice. Then something dawned on him, "How did you know I was still in the nursery? How do you know how old I am? I never tell anyone that." He turned around to face his wife. She was clearly enjoying herself. A smile graced her lips, in spite of the tears still in her eyes.

"You told me under Ba Sing Se, Zuko. It was your birthday, the Winter Solstice. And, I think that everyone knows that the Fire Prince is kept in the safety of his mother's nursery until he has reached his eighth year." She smiled at him, bringing up both a painful and pleasant memory for both of them. He flinched slightly at the age of eight – the age that his mother went missing.

Zuko had grumbled that instead of spending his eighteenth birthday like a prince of the Fire Nation should, he was stuck in caves beneath Ba Sing Se because his sister was truly insane. He was trying to live a simple life as a Tea Waiter until he figured out a better way to gain his father's love. After all, the Avatar was proving to be an impossible task. Then, his damn sister found him and stuck him in a cold, musky cave with the Water wench who traveled with the Avatar.

When she heard his complaints, Katara had ironically wished him a joyous birthday. She didn't say it too maliciously. She was curious about how auspicious it was for a Fire Prince to be born on the shortest day of the year. He replied saying that his father had always said that he was lucky to be born, where his sister who was born on the Summer Solstice was born lucky.

"Ah, I didn't think you would remember such a trivial detail. I guess one person knows how old I am. One person knows who stole your innocence." He smirked, glancing at her slender body. She was wearing another one of his shirts and it fit her like a dress. So, jokingly he added, "Maybe instead of getting you new clothes, we will just expand my wardrobe." She giggled before turning back to breakfast.

* * *

"You neglected to tell me something, Zuko." An accusing voice came from behind him. Katara turned and smiled at Suki, but Zuko was obviously tense.

"What did I neglect, Suki?" His voice was even and emotionless. He turned to face her, surprised at how good she looked after just one good meal and some sleep.

"Your wife, Sokka's sister, my friend…she's pregnant." Suki crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Is that what has Sokka so frustrated at?" She had a smile on her face in spite of her faux aggravation. Momo was the first to break into the awkward silence which had ensued as he jumped onto Suki's shoulder.

"No, Sokka was upset with the marriage. He almost killed Zuko when he found out about the pregnancy five days ago." Katara answered for Zuko, eyeing him nervously.

"Ah, well, Sokka is a bit over the top at times." Suki said dismissively. She looked around for something to do, but saw nothing, "Did you guys already pack the camp? Sheesh, something that was said in the Warden's Office really scared you."

Zuko nodded his jaw tense. Suki looked at him, wondering. He seemed to be such a spoiled prince with a short temper to her. She didn't understand why Katara would have agreed to marry him. Unless he got her pregnant beforehand…He pulled her from her speculation. "How did you end up in the Boiling Rock?"

Suki looked surprised for a second before clearing her voice and answering, "I was captured during the invasion of Ba Sing Se by the Fire Nation. Because I am the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, I was placed in that facility and tortured daily for intelligence."

"Almost all was lost in Ba Sing Se. I am glad you survived." Zuko said kindly before dismissing himself from their circle with the excuse that he needed to do his morning exercise rotations. He didn't particularly want to be involved in the integration which he was sure was about to ensue. Katara could handle herself. Momo, also sensing the tense atmosphere, followed closely behind the firebender.

"So, you married the Fire Prince. Risky move, don't you think?" Suki started helping make breakfast, trying to do what everyone else had been trying for weeks. She was worried about her friend. More, she was worried about Sokka. No one seemed to know the whole story and the last time she had seen Katara, the girl hated Zuko. Now, they were married.

Katara glanced at her friend, knowingly, "There was nothing to think about."

Suki practically whined, "Come on! Every marriage has a love story." This caused Katara to raise an eyebrow. "This kind of marriage!" Suki tried to word her argument tactfully, not accusingly. She knew that Katara could be stubborn.

"What did Zuko tell you?" Katara asked, sweetly. Suki huffed, knowing it was pretty much a hopeless cause.

Suddenly, they heard Zuko yelling and saw him sprinting toward them. Katara was the first to see what caused the alarm as her husband woke up the Avatar and their other companions. In the distance, there was a tower of sickening black smoke – the smoke from Azula's tank engine. Katara packed up breakfast as Suki ran to help finish packing up the camp.

Katara giggled as she saw Zuko pick up the still sleeping Toph gently and place her on Appa's saddle next to Momo and the Avatar himself. Toph woke up and blushed when she realized what had happened, but Zuko didn't stick around for pleasantries. Instead, he went to retrieve his wife.

"Would it be bad if I gloated by saying, 'I told you so.'" He grinned, shouldering the food bags and taking her by the hand. They walked quickly toward the great beast. Although they probably had a few hours before Azula arrived, it would be better if they put those hours as distance.

"I believed you!" Katara laughed, climbing onto Appa's back. Zuko was quick to follow, scanning the camp quickly to make sure they had all of their supplies. He also made sure everyone was securely on board before giving Aang an approving nod for take-off. This implied Zuko tying himself, Katara – much to her amusement – and the blind girl to the saddle. His excuse was that Appa could have to do some evasive flying and he didn't want them to fall off.

"So what's for breakfast?" Sokka said the moment they took off. Zuko groaned.


End file.
